Royal Consequences
by megglesnake
Summary: Picking up where "A Consequence for every action" left off. It is up to Alistair and his Wardens to help the rightful ruler of Ferelden take back his Crown.  Rated M for sexual themes and violence.
1. The Ball is still dropping

The hallway fell into an awkward silence; only the faint sounds of the minstrels playing and voices of the nobles coming from the next room could be heard. The Queen and the two Wardens paid them no mind as they were frozen where they stood, gaping in astonishment at the formerly dead King, who now stood before them looking very much alive with a touch of mischief in his eyes.

Maric still recognizable, no one voiced their doubt of his identity as there was little doubt in anyone's mind given his close appearance to his sons. Only difference was their eyes, each of his sons had received the color of their respective (and different) mother's.

Keeping his focus completely on the Queen, Maric found himself pleased with her reaction to his presence. Her wide eyes were filled with surprise and a flickering of unease. Her mouth hung open in a manner unbecoming of any proper Queen, and her already pale complexion was growing lighter by the moment. He had hoped for a bit of fainting, but this would simply have to do for now.

Maric cast a sly sideways glance at the son he knew he could have done better by, but choices and circumstances were what they were. Had he been expecting some kind of Anora like surprise; he was bound for disappointment on this front. If Alistair was at all surprised, he hid it well behind his glares of animosity. The look itself stirred within him a pang of pain in his heart. He did not blame his son for his feelings, however he had hoped for some interest or curiosity instead of contempt.

Quickly averting his eyes from Alistair and allowing his gaze to fall upon the woman standing beside his son. It was obvious by the way, they were holding each other's hands they were romantically involved. Despite her lack of hair, she was lovely; there was also a keen intelligence that sparkled in her eyes.

She was so familiar. He searched his memory for having met such a young woman. Granted she would have been much younger, before he was lost, her features and coloring did still tug at his mind. Her mystery and physical traits were hardly what had peaked Maric's interest in the woman; it was the devious smirk playing on corners her lips has she glanced between Anora and himself.

_I don't even know who she is and already I like this woman. At least someone, aside from myself, could possibly find this whole situation unbelievably amusing. _He smirked at his own thoughts as his attention went back to Anora.

"Before anyone asks the questions which are typically asked in such situation as these; I really would like to know who started the horrid rumor that I was…well dead?" Maric demanded in a matter of fact tone. For a time no one spoke, finally a thoughtful looking Elissa began to answer.

"I believe it was simply assumed after several years passed, and since not a soul had heard any news of your whereabouts or from you personally. As you know Ferelden could not be without a King for long, thus Cailan was named as such shortly after you were officially declared dead by the Chantry." She cleared her throat under the intensely watchful gaze of Maric. Her hands began to shake slightly as did her voice. "To answer your question, it was Loghain who brought news of your demise."

She grimaced nervously as she looked up at Alistair. Elissa's eyes searched his face looking for signs of his feelings. She knew how much he had always wanted a family,. Here was his father living, breathing and returned from the dead and yet Alistair made no move to look or even speak. Keeping his cold eyes directed at Maric, who was attempting to avoid eye contact with his son with little success.

Maric softened his gaze, giving this beautiful woman his full attention; smiling and with a warm tone he said softly. "Tis alright, I eventually got my answer. Thank you my dear girl. And you would be?"

'Oh Maker, please forgive my horrid manners!" Elissa stammered before smiling apologetically. He watched curiously as she fumbled nervously with her fingers, while a slight blush crept into her cheeks.

_What a strangely adorable young lady_. He thought to himself.

"I am Eli…I mean Arlessa Elissa Cousland." She cleared her throat and cringed slightly when referring to herself as "Arlessa." She was thankful when Maric chose to ignore her obvious discomfort.

"Cousland? You would be one of Bryce's children then? The youngest if I'm not mistaken, yes?" Elissa smiled sadly and nodded shortly. "Andraste's grace but I have not seen you since you were the size of a nug." Now that he looked at her again he clearly saw the inquisitively strong eyes of a Cousland.

Knowing there would be time for such talk later on, Maric decided to touch on the topic at hand. "It was Loghain was it? Ha! I should have known he would jump to such conclusion." He glanced around the group, then over the hall as if searching for his old friend. Having been his savior, friend, general, confidant, pain in his neck and a thousand other roles.

"Apparently the two of us need to sit down and have ourselves a pleasant little chat." Maric chortled as he looked from face to face. The chortles died within his throat as he noticed the sadness within Elissa's eyes. A small ball of fear started to grow within the pit of his stomach. His eyes searched the room again for his long time companion before looking back, dreading the question he knew he had to ask next. He looked to Anora, asking the obvious question: "Tell me what happened?"

"My father has been dead for nearly four years," Anora said dryly and evenly. It was the coldness in her eyes which unnerved Maric as the words left her lips. He had heard the rumors of the ice Queen of Ferelden upon his arrival. Even with those rumors in mind he was still a little shocked to find out they had been completely and utterly true. "While killing an Archdemon" She finished; allowing the smallest hint of sadness creep into her voice. Well perhaps she was not a total Ice Queen, but the chill and void within her was still shocking none the less.

Maric could do little to hide his shock. He had of course heard rumors of blights, treason, the Grey Wardens being decimated against, Orlais sending troops to Ferelden, civil war, and talking dark spawn all whispers that had made it to his ears. Until now, he had discounted most of these as tales that grew with each telling. Anora's words still ringing in his ears shook him to his core.

"Archdemon? You mean there was a Blight? But only a Grey Warden ca…" Maric bit off the words. His trip to the deep roads all those years ago had gained him many of the Warden's secrets. Speaking of this aloud was less than honorable considering his promises to Alistair's mother and Duncan. As he allowed his words to trail off his eyes flew to Alistair and then Elissa searching for confirmation, while secretly hoping for denial. It was Elissa that nodded in silent response.

"Maker's blood, this is indeed a grave tragedy." Maric dropped his head in grief. All of the things they had been through together came flooding back into his mind. How many times did his friend save him? It was Loghain's strength, as he grieved for Rowan, which kept the country together.

The emotions flickered across Maric's features as well as his reverent; half-closed eyes hit Alistair like an Ogre's fist. Before he could stop himself (not that he actually wanted to), Alistair snorted in disgust. "HIS death is the real tragedy in this whole mess." Alistair sneered bitterly as Maric turned towards Alistair with an icy glare of his own, which Alistair chose to ignore. "The death's HE caused are by no means as tragic as his own demise."

Maric's icy glare soon gave way to a look of confusion. His information seemed so disjointed and incomplete. Looking deep into Alistair's eyes seeking clarity, but only finding more contempt. Softly and in a measured tone he sought to bridge the gaps. "Of what do you speak my boy?"

"I am in no way your boy, nor have I ever been." Alistair stated his voice low and filled with bitter acidity. "I suggest you remember that." Hardness crackled between the two men. The words bit deeply into Maric's heart, knowing all too well the pain that must drive such a reaction.

Elissa forcefully cleared her throat before Alistair could say anything else. His reaction showed his hurt, pain and frankly a lack of maturity. For love of Alistair and the respect due her King she sought to defuse the situation. "Diplomacy my love, is not your strong point." Elissa smiled thinly as she gave his hand a firm squeeze of warning. It was a warning he unwisely chose to ignore.

"Perhaps not, but some people should wait to hear the full story before feeling bad for a tyra…" Elissa angrily dropped his hand and positioned herself in front of Alistair with anger flashing in her eyes. While she loved this man with every ounce of her soul, she had to do something and do it quickly before more damage was done. She knew him, and he would regret this if the venom filled accusations were allowed to continue.

"That is quite enough Alistair!" She hissed far more heatedly than even she had intended them to be. Thankfully it had the desired effect, as Alistair quickly quieted himself.

"Your personal resentment towards him in is no way helpful! It is hardly his fault he doesn't know everything that has happened over the past eight years, but he will soon enough." She said with much conviction as she turned her head from Alistair to Maric. "That is of course, unless you are too exhausted from your travels to hear of such tales?"

Breaking his heated gaze away from Alistair, within a moment he was smiling warmly at Elissa, and he shook his head. "No my dear I am quite awake." He held out an arm to the Arlessa. Before taking his arm Elissa turned to an obviously tense Alistair and flashed him a reassuring smile. Her eyes showing clearly her regret for the harshness of her words.

"I will only do so with your permission Commander." She asked calmly, giving control of the situation back to a now somewhat calmer Alistair, who simply nodded shortly. Which was all the prompting Elissa needed. "Thank you Commander." Her fingertips lightly grazed across the back of Alistair hand in an aching gentle caress. The warmth of her touch soothed Alistair and further calmed his anger.

With narrowed eyes she turned to Anora. "Majesty, you know how the nobles love to gossip, and how grossly exaggerated most of it is." She paused to see if Anora's attention was focused upon her before continuing onward. "Alistair did not start that rumor, and you knew it. You merely wanted an excuse to throw your royal ego in his face; frankly, I thought you were above that kind of behavior." Elissa made sure disappointment was plain in her tone. "You know how to stop the rumors, may I suggest for both of yours and Ferelden's sake you do it without too much of a fuss." Elissa said stood firm under Anora's icy gaze.

Both raised as Teyrn's daughters, they were on somewhat equal footing from education in politics and diplomacy. There was a moment that froze between them where a silent battle for position took place. With a the slightest of nods, Anora conceded to Elissa's points and looked away with a small huff. Elissa took Maric's offered arm and started to move towards an archway in the main hall that concealed an door to what once was her private study.

Leaning his head down to whisper in Elissa's ear "Does Anora normally allow you to speak so freely?" His tone and volume were hushed as they were still within hearing range of the Queen. Elissa shook her head.

"I will be most surprised if I wake up in the morning with a head still attached to my neck." She whispered in a conspiratorial tone as she ushered a chuckling Maric into the Warden Commanders private study.

As she pressed the door shut, she threw the latching mechanism, with a small tug made sure the door was secure. Maric raised a single eyebrow at this wordlessly questioning the action. With a wry grin Elissa winked slowly and said: "I happen to be fond of my head just where it is" Maric's mirth bubbled forth from his lips as he eyed Elissa. He thought to himself, what a lucky man his son was indeed.

* * * * * *

In the hall Alistair bowed seeking to make his leave before the Queen could say or do anything. Anora was quick to stop him before he could disappear with the sea of nobility. Her hand while small gripped his sleeve with a iron grip he would have never thought she possessed.

Alistair looked at Anora and noted how uncomfortable she appeared. Her mouth opened and closed several times as if at a loss for words or that what she had to say was so painful it would not easily be expressed. Under any normal circumstances Alistair would have found her loss of words to be utterly and fantastically hilarious, but tonight he was running rather thin on patience.

He glanced down at her hand, then back into her blue eyes. "Have one of your lackeys find me if you think of something relevant to say." With a firm tug, he removed his sleeve from her grasp. He counted a mental tally at the jibe struck at Anora, increasing his score on witty rejoinders by two. He reasoned to himself that it was a particularly witty one liner and the extra point was for the fact she seemed unable to even respond.

He had taken but half a step away from her, when he heard Anora's defeated sigh. Pivoting his body around he looked at Anora attempting to clear her throat. For all appearances she was struggling to once again gain mastery over her voice.

Alistair paused and said in a sarcastic tone: "Yesssssss?"

Her mouth twisted in disgusted sneer and turned her head slightly away from under Alistair's gaze. Her eyes focused on the room full of Ferelden's nobles swiftly noting the location of several prominent individuals.

With great effort her gaze shifted off the nobles, and back to Alistair while she mumbled. "We need to share a dance."

Alistair's eyes widened in exaggerated shock while he retorted: "Excuse me? Could you repeat yourself, I don't believe I heard correctly." He smirked at her obvious discomfort.

Troubling others is not something he normally enjoyed doing, but there was one acceptation to almost any rule. Horrid bitches do not exactly qualify as humans in his book. By no stretch of his quite vivid imagination did he enjoy the thought of sharing a dance with Anora, but this request was not totally unexpected, Alistair considered how very shocked Anora would be if she knew he had seen this coming.

"Childish." She hissed under her breath. Snapping her head up to look at him directly in the eyes Anora repeated herself with confidence. "In order to stop the rumors, you need to ask me to share a dance with you. It would show the nobles that we have indeed placed events of the past behind us." She sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes. It was obvious she felt as if she were asking a darkspawn to dance instead of a human.

A wide and devilish smile took form on Alistair's lips and in a tone that was pitched to reach Anora's ears alone he said: "I'll do it, but not just for the sole purpose of keeping the nobles from gossiping. I will do it because you are already having an unbelievably unpleasant night. I mean with Maric making his rather unexpected return, that alone threatens your throne more than I or any rumor about me ever could. Not to mention Elissa scolding you. I also know dancing with me will be one of the most painful experiences of your life, and I want to enjoy every moment of your vast discomfort. Your majesty." He added mockingly before bowing to Anora as courtesy demanded.

The main hall's vibrant decorations, along with the nobles dressed in their finest and rather colorful clothing; presented a riot of color that dazzled the eyes, or blinded depending on whom one asked.

Several noble couples were dancing and weaving in an intricate pattern, partners spun and maneuvered through the required dance steps. While it wasn't the Remigold, he admired the shear memorization required to complete the dance.

So distracted was he, that he missed sight of the three drunken nobles that suddenly surrounded him, and began bombarding him with questions of everything from Elissa's whereabouts over the last several months, to worries over neighboring countries. Walking a fine line, he struggled to give them no answers when it came to the subject of Elissa.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noted that Anora had moved back to her chair on the dais, and appeared to be bombarded in a similar manner. Striving to be as polite as possible, as it doesn't pay to be rude to the charitable nobility of Ferelden he displayed tack that had been sorely missing with the interaction with his erstwhile sire.

He took in a deep breath as the currently musical interlude was ending and made his excuses to the group pressing him for information. With a firm but credible tone he informed the group that the next dance was one that he and the Queen must share as it was a favorite of both of theirs. Politely excusing himself from the nobles was easier than he thought since the circle of nobles was apparently performing complex calculations as to what his statement might imply. A smile fixed upon his lips and with a purposeful stride he made his way to the raised dais at the front of the Vigil's hall.

Standing before the seated Queen, Alistair bowed deeply as he knew he should. Glancing out of the corner of his eye he was assured that the bulk of the nobles were paying full attention to the two of them. Alistair in a clear voice spoke to the Anora knowing that the sudden decrease in idle chatter would allow his words to carry further than normal.

"Your Majesty, I would beg to remind you of your promise to share this next dance with me. It isn't often I am so lucky to have such a skilled and beautiful partner for my favorite dance. Did you not mention it was one of yours as well?"

A wide and serene smile spread across her face, Anora responded in voice that was suffused in warmth. "My dearest Commander, you are quite right and I would have been deeply disappointed to miss this experience." With those words Alistair held out his hand to guide her onto the dance floor. Anora smiled and graciously accepted as she slid his hand within his. The eyes of the hall all focused on the dancing partners.

Murmurings could be heard from every which direction as they moved to the center of the room. The minstrels waited until the pair stopped and formally took their stance. The slow and formal music began.

The gawking nobles lined the walls of the hall, each one focused on the pair as they spun gracefully around the floor. They made for a stunning pair in formal apparel. The Queen's gown seemed to float with a lightness that belayed the yards of fabric giving the volume to the shape. Alistair's formal attire showed off his wide shoulders, lean legs and narrowed hips.

Each move was executed precisely and gracefully. It was one more thing about Alistair which shocked Anora completely. He hardly appeared to be a graceful sort, much less one who kept up to date on current dances. Yes, Cailan's brother did keep surprising her to say the very least. For a brief moment she was reminded of her wedding day to Cailan, and the first dance they shared. While she had married him for the position she would gain, she had learned care for, and even love her handsome fool of a husband. His lighthearted attitude granted her the ability to be the true power of the throne for years.

From the fragments of conversations the gathered as they worked the dance floor it was apparent that Elissa had been correct once again. The rumors of Alistair as a rightful ruler where quickly hushed. The apparent accord between the new Commander of the Grey in Ferelden and the Queen spread like wildfire instead.

"Are you enjoying this as much as I am?" He wore the same wide smile he had carried on his way to ask Anora for the dance. His body pivoted Anora into a lift and gently set her back lightly on her feet as the steps of the dance demanded. The glint in her eyes said all that words could not and refuted the beatific smile on her finely framed features. With true enjoyment of her discomfort, he said: "I was simply making sure." He spun her about the room, all the while keeping her at arm's length in case there was concealed dagger she could reach.

Once the dance was over the Commander bowed deeply to the Queen, while he placed a chase kiss upon her hand. Alistair guided her back to the dais with her hand upon his arm. As she settled into her chair, once again Alistair bowed, and backed away as courtesy required.

The music once again started up with the majority of nobles lined up to dance a lively version of the Remigold. Anora silently moved towards her son who was eagerly asking questions about the man she had been dancing with in the way only a small child could. Alistair joined his small group of friends standing near one of the food tables.

"My friend, while the majority of the nobles have been fooled, I must say the dance appeared to be painful for the both of you." Zevran stated in a matter of fact tone.

"She was in more pain than I." Alistair said with great pride. It earned him chuckles from his circle.

"Where is the Elissa?" Anders asked as he looked around the room.

Alistair's heartfelt smile quickly left his face, replaced with a controlled mask. He was not angry with Elissa for meeting with Maric. Explanations were needed on both sides. Elissa was willing to meet with Maric, and not only kept up to date on events over the years, but she had years of political training thanks to her father. He knew she was the right person handle this situation. Alistair also knew that his anger at Maric returning was less than reasonable. He found himself asking what kind of game was the man playing at, coming back now of all times?

Setting his conflicting and confusing feelings aside he responded to Anders. "She is meeting with an unexpected guest." He said choosing his words carefully. "That being said, I need to meet with all of you after this is over. I have some news to share with you all. I believe that this would be best discussed where we can be more private, perhaps at the forest?"

"Privately delivered news, ah that does not bode well for this being good news. So that leaves us with the other option of bad news. Of course is there any other kind?" Zevran asked rhetorically followed by a self amused chuckle.

The ball finally ended after the midnight hour. The nobles trickled out of the main hall, and towards their awaiting caravans, carriages or mounts, each party making their way home or to prearranged lodgings.

Alistair pondered the option to pull Teyrn Cousland and Arl Eamon aside to give them the news of Maric's return, but something stopped him. His better nature won out and kept the news to himself.

While he reasoned that he first wanted to see what Elissa had learned, he knew that wasn't the only reason. He read sadness in his father's eyes that his compassionate heart could not overlook. He wanted to give Maric time to recuperate and recover from his travels, before he was bombarded with questions from all quarters. Regardless of the reason, he felt he made the right choice.

Instead of staying at the Vigil until morning in the quarters that had previously been arranged; the Queen stated that she and her son (emphasizing the fact that Bryce was hers.), would start the journey back to Denerim. While some concerns were raised she dismissed them stating that they were more than capable of traveling by night, and the royal guards where more than able to see to their protection.

As soon as the Queen carriage was out of sight (much to Alistair's great relief), he moved quickly to meet with his friends within the forest surrounding the Vigil. While he regretted the necessity, it was a wise precaution in order to keep this news from the ears of wandering servants or the open ears of any lagging nobility.

Deep within the forest, Nathaniel, Anders, Zevran, Leliana, and Zara were huddled together and waiting for him under a large tree.

"Alright Commander, would you mind telling us this news that brought us out here on such a cold night." Anders said though his chattering teeth.

"Of course." He grinned. "Since Anders is getting chilled from the cold draft running up his dress…" Alistair saw sparks fly from Ander's fingers as his remark struck its intended target. "KIDDING! Really Anders, can't you take a joke?" Alistair held his hands up in a defensive manner. As was intended, this put the group at ease as they finally shared a laugh after the tension of the evening.

As the smile slowly faded from Alistair's face he went on: "I'll get straight to the point; Maric has returned to Ferelden." He stopped long enough to allow the news to register within their minds. "I'm sure all of you heard the rumors circulating about the throne and the noble's drunken opinions of whom should have been placed there?" They all nodded. "Well Anora took that rumor a bit to heart and attempted to pass this off as the start of some new revolt." Nathaniel and Anders let out a disgusted and frustrated groan. "I know, I know. That was my thought as well. Before she could accuse me outright, Maric made his grand entrance. "

"It is Maric that Elissa is meeting with." Nathaniel stated with a single raised brow.

Alistair nodded.

"She is telling him everything he has missed over the past several years. I thought you all should be informed as to where we stand. Better to be prepared.." He stopped there. The words "civil war." already hung in the air at the mention of Maric's return.

"That is all the news I have for now. I didn't want to have this overheard. Sorry I couldn't pick a slightly more temperate night to bring you all such news." Each member of the group seemed wrapped in their own thoughts as they quickly dispersed.

Alistair trusted them all to keep the news he shared a secret. His trust in his friends grew daily, knowing they would be there for him. The precautions needed to prevent others from overhearing were, to say the least regrettable. That the Vigils Keep was less secure than he would like was due in part to the ball. In delicate situations such as this it was best to be safe than sorry.

He returned to his and Elissa's room only to find it was empty. This did not surprise him so much as was disappointing. After having to share a dance with Anora, he missed Elissa's own soothing touch. He had hoped she would not try to filll Maric in on everything in only one night.

Alistair knew it would take hours to compress all the events of the past several years. Additionally he felt that no one could process that much information within one night. A son's death, Blight, a friend's betrayal and death, and a near civil war were just a few of the painful topics that Maric would need to discuss.

Impatience took over as he paced the room. He knew it was the right choice sending Elissa to speak with Maric and they both knew it. She was gentle and kind, could give out details Alistair could not, and she is patent.

It wasn't as if he completely hated his Father. He was angry yes, the conflicting emotions and the ramifications of his return got the better of him. Losing his temper in the hallway had proven that clearly. For right now he just had no interest in knowing him, speaking with him, or being in the same room with the man. He knew he couldn't handle the King and what needed to be said as well as Elissa.

"Thank Andraste I brought my books with me." He mumbled as he picked out a random book and began reading, determined to stay up all night if he had to awaiting Elissa's return.

Just over three hours had passed when a loud knock came on his door. "You know you don't have to knock Eli." He called out as he moved towards the door. Slowly the door opened and Anders poked his head through the doorway.

"I do believe manners and standard etiquette dictate that I do. I come bearing a gift that has need of your attention." He stated as he opened the door supporting a stumbling and giggling Elissa through the threshold.

Alistair watched in stunned silence as Anders navigated Elissa to the corner of their bed, and guided her into a sitting position.

"Hi Anders!" She squeaked happily which was quickly followed by a fit of giggles. At a glance Alistair took in her soft and unfocused eyes, her dress rumpled as if it had been wadded up in a trunk for months, and she was missing one slipper.

"Yes love, we've been through this already." Anders brought a hand up in order to hide his amused smile and snickering from Elissa.

"Anders. What a nice name that is. It matches your lovely hair!" All of her words slurred together as if it were one long sentence. Being a professional former drunk, Alistair easily translated what she had said and informed Anders, whose loud laughter filled the room.

"You hate my hair. In fact you've ordered me to get it cut loads of times." At that Elissa broke out into a fit of loud giggles

"Good Maker, she's as drunk as a Dwarf!" Alistair chuckled as he stood up from their bed and quickly made his way in front of Elissa. "I'll take care of her. Thank you Anders for bringing her up here."

"You're very welcome. I am playing a guide to Maric as well seeing as how he is just as drunk as she" He said pointing to Elissa. "I'm guessing these two have had quite a night. Odd really seeing as she isn't keen on drinking." With that, Anders left the room.

"Hi there Alistair! How was your…oh you know…the dancing thingy?" She cheerfully asked. He shrugged and smiled warmly at her as he slid her one remaining slipper off her foot.

"As well as could be expected, some things I'll have to tell you once you are of a slightly clearer mind." He said as he undressed her. She giggled as he removed her silky pink dress, letting it fall to the floor. This wasn't exactly how he had planned or hoped on taking it off her tonight.

"I feel all…icky." To emphasize her statement she stuck out her tongue. "I should really take a bath." She slurred before she clumsily pushed herself off the bed, and began to stand with every intention of taking a bath. She fell backwards onto the bed before Alistair could stop her, which only induced more giggling fits. Rolling his eyes he tucked her into bed.

"That must have been one hell of a conversation you had with Maric." He stated as he covered her in thick blankets. She made a soft agreeing squeak.

"He is rather sad." She said sleepily. It made her sound childlike, Reminding Alistair of her days on Lyrium. "I told him about my parents, Cailan and Duncan. We needed a drinky."

Thanks to the warm covers she fell asleep within minutes. He gathered an empty basin and placed it near her head on the floor, always better to be prepared for the after effects. Next he took a wash basin of cool water and a clean soft cloth putting them in easy reach near his side of the bed. A cold compress would be required based on her current state.

Removing his own clothing first, he slowly crawled into bed beside her. Trying to create as little movement as possible he settled on his back and reached for her hand. Holding her small hand in his he could do given the level of pain that would come by morning, maybe even before then. This would have to be enough for now.

"You'll have to tell me all about your conversation once you're survived your morning." He mumbled before drifting off into a dreamless slumber.

**A/N: Hello everyone! Here well here it is, the second story! YAY! I wasn't sure where I wanted to take this story, but thanks to much outlining I think I have a pretty good idea which direction this story should be heading. Of course I'm always open to reader suggestions as well. :)  
Now the first story was very Alistair driven and his POV was rather dominant . Since Maric's return effect in a different way (compared to anyone else in the merry group) his POV will still be a crucial part of this story. But the dominant POV character's here will be Elissa (for reasons that will become clear later) and of course Maric.  
Thanks to my awesomely wonderful editor Linette23 for her ALWAYS fantastic editing, and cleaning up job! Thanks to all of you for taking the time out of your day to read this. **


	2. The beginning of a new journey

Elissa had been uncertain as to how long she had been asleep before her stomach began churning; given the massive amounts of pain that descended upon head, stomach and her eyes her upon her waking, she did not particularly care about the time. Every thought flew from her mind in a desperate need to be sick.

After several miserable hours of making use of the basin at her bedside_. How had that ended up there? _she wondered. Even in the pre-dawn light of the chamber she felt that every weak beam of light pierced her eyes like an Orlesian javelin. No, make that a poisoned tipped, Orlesian javelin. No, it was worse than that, it was a heavy, poisoned, barbed, burning PAIR of Orlesian javelins.

As sleep was no longer an option and she was sure the entire contents of her stomach were finally out she slowly attempted to sit upright. Setting up her favorite chair near the window, she sat, pulling back the curtain and observed the sleeping keep below.

By sunrise, her stomach no longer lurching had somewhat settled. The dark circles under her eyes, foul taste in her mouth and the excruciating headache remained. The now risen sun blazing into her chamber assaulted her eyes. Those damned Orlesian javelins were back and did nothing to help her pounding head. With slow deliberate movements she moved towards her pack in search of some healing potions, she normally kept for emergencies.

Her fingers found a small vial and when she opened it, the scent of mint wafted up to jar her overly sensitive sense of smell. Ah, well not the healing potion she hoped for, however the mint infused water was a requirement after filling that handy basin. Taking a deep pull from the vial, she used her tongue to swirl the contents around her mouth and then spit it into the basin. One more swig allowed her mouth to finally feel clean of the vile, fuzzy, dirty moss taste that had made her wish she could use her dagger to scrape the covering from her tongue.

"Ahhh, finally just what my head needs" With a quick movement, she uncorked the small vial and quickly downed the entire contents in a single gulp. Her hope was it would be sufficient to remove the stabbing pain in her head. On the other hand, in the worse case at least take the pain down to a level where she did not feel as inclined to ask to have her head removed.

As the moments passed by the warmth of the healing potion eased through her system. Not unlike the rising sun, the effects slowly rose upwards until little by little the pain eased to a level where she no longer had to squint at the now breaking dawn.

Alistair's usual mighty morning yawn shattered the silence and nearly made Elissa jump in surprise. "Stupid." She muttered angrily under her breath. She had had forgotten that Alistair still slumbered just a few feet from her. As her mind was clearing, it finally dawned on her who must have left basin for her use.

She turned in her chair towards the bed watching Alistair struggling to sit up in bed. While the process was almost as fun as watching the sunrise, she had to give the edge to Alistair. After all the sunrise was silent and the added dimension of sound had to count for something. It always took more effort than he was willing to give in the wee morning hours. She watched him struggle to sit up with a warm smile pulling at the corner of her lips in a valiant attempt not to laugh at his attempts to rise.

"Oh sod off." His croaked as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes with the back of his hand."I expected you to be setting up camp on the floor?" He forced a laugh, which only brought a fit of coughs and dry hacking.

"Serves you right, you grump." With a triumphant smile, she waited patently until the coughing fits passed. "I nearly had, but that was done hours ago. Thank you for setting that up for me." She said pointing to the basin next to the bed. Looking back at Alistair, she could see disappointment on his face. "You have my deepest apologies for not waking you up so you could point and laugh." She said dryly.

A small smile tugged at the corner of Elissa's lips as she watched him pushed back his blankets and pushed off the bed; he was naked and did nothing to remedy his current state. Her eyes traveled down his extremely well formed body while debating if a running, properly aimed tackle might land him back in bed.

For the time being, she watched as he stumbled towards her and planted a kiss on her forehead before stumbling into the privy. Elissa mused to herself "Ah well so much for the tackle option, he obviously had other needs."

He did not bother closing the door, as the two were beyond such formalities. Rising from her chair's he stopped before their wardrobe and began the process of retrieving Alistair's armor for the day.

"I am disappointed my pointing finger will have no practical use today, but I have not a doubt in my mind that at some point during the day you will give me some other reason to laugh at you." He called out from the bathroom.

"_Yes, that is probably true. Arse." _She thought to herself nodded and shrugged. "You find yourself unbelievably amusing don't you?"

With his classic lopsided smile, he replied, "No. Amusing people tell stories and write books. I'm witty, wise and adorable" With a quick turn he grasped a clean pair of small clothes and proceeded dress.

_And completely delusional _"If I recall correctly I do believe you also bruise easily? Or is my memory making up conversations which never took place?" She did not need to see his face to know he was rolling his eyes.

"It is far too early in the morning to be speaking of my delicate skin." It came out far more defensively than Alistair had intended. Elissa simply ignored his tone and went about setting his armor on the bed. "Anders told me you rarely drink. Would I be prying if I asked the reason behind last night?"

"The first thing he wanted to hear was the events leading up to Cailan's death. I started with my own parents and went from there. I could not deny him of those details so I did my best to describe the actions and situations that brought about the death of his son. It broke my heart watching the pain in his face when I told him what we found when we returned to Ostagar. By the time I was finished telling him of my parents, he found Nate's hidden stash of expensive rums. I believe you know how the night ends." She flopped down at the end of the bed and glanced down at the floor. Her head was beginning to pound again.

"If speaking with the man is going to drive you to drinking then I'll speak with him from now on." He said as he started in on fixing his hair. The silence that followed was unexpected. Looking over his shoulder, Elissa was leaning against the doorframe; her eyes were narrowed, fists clinched at her side, and her usually full lips were pursed thinly together.

Alistair would not be intimidated by her anger. "I mean it Eli. If you believe reliving the last eight years will drive you becoming what I used to be then I'll speak with him." His eyes took on a haunted look as he remembered all he lost while a drunk. The thought of Elissa going down the same path was sufficient to ignore her anger at his proclamation and his resolution not to speak to the man who as responsible for his creation.

Inwardly Elissa was seething far more than her outer appearance could ever convey. Before speaking, she forced her voice to remain calm and even. "I know you mean well, but I don't need you lecturing me on the dangers of drowning my sorrows in a bottle. I am hardly a child and YOU are hardly my father. It was one night, it won't happen again."

"I used to say that to myself all the time. All that I am asking is that you not make a habit of it, it leads to saying and doing the stupidest of things." His words had an edge of bitterness as his mind conjured up images of his time in Orlais. Shaking his head free of the unwanted imagery, he continued, "I know you're a grown woman and you know how to make your own decisions. I just know how easy it is to be tempted to drown one's pain."

His watched as he could see the anger drain from Elissa's face. Inwardly he gave a sigh of relief that he had saved himself once again from a premature death.

"I'm sorry I worried you." Elissa allowed some of the tension to leave her shoulders. She brought up her hand and inspected its cleanliness using that moment, giving her heart a moment to slow down the frantic pace her fury had imposed upon it. "I will take your advice to heart seeing as no one within in the Vigil knows about saying and doing stupid thing more than you." A trace of wry grin touched her soft lips. Glancing up just in time to see a smiling Alistair stalking towards her as an animal would stalk its prey. She shook her head as she took a small step backwards. "No! I will not be attacked by a naked man this early in the morning." She demanded, but it was too late. She squeaked as Alistair picked her up, placed her head first over his shoulder and carried her off towards the large four-poster bed so recently vacated. "Put me down this instant you ogre!"

"Ogre am I?" He teased, but did as she asked by flopping her onto the bed. He kept her pinned to the bed by holding both of her arms over her head with one hand. Leaning down so his lips were inches from her lips he said, "You make it sound as if you are attacked by naked men quite often?" Her brow arched in a mocking quizzical look. Heat rose in Alistair's cheeks. "Oh yes. Umm, well Anyways, I hadn't planned on telling you about all of the things **you** said last night."

"How very kind of you, it simply goes to show you are indeed the bigger person here. Do not stoop to my level of obvious immaturity." She lifted her head just enough to plant a swift soft kiss upon Alistair's cheek.

"Thank you, but now I simply must tell you." A fake sympathetic smile spread across his lips as she groaned in disappointment.

"I am **really **sorry for what I said early." She smiled in an attempt to change his mind with kindness. It did not have the desired impact based on the overly deep breath that he took.

"Of that I have no doubt." He paused if only for dramatic effect. "You giggled a lot. Not to mention Anders his now aware of your secret admiration for his name and his looovely hair."

A blush crept into Elissa cheeks as she groaned in disgust. She glanced up at Alistair with firm resolve on her face. "You are absolutely right about stupid things being said. He didn't take me seriously did he?"

Alistair shook his head. "Your state of mind was fairly obvious when he brought you up." Letting her up from the bed Alistair began slipping into the armor Elissa had set out for him. "So what is he like?"

"Maric?" Elissa watched him from beneath her eyelashes watching for his reaction.

"Yes of course I mean Maric." He snapped. He knew he was letting his impatience show and in turn taking it out on Elissa was unfair.

"I thought you had no interest in learning of your parents." She mocked in a low and manly tone, which was nowhere near Alistair's voice. Rolling his eyes Alistair went about fastening his breastplate and waiting for her to continue. "I did most of the speaking last night, but he is funny and patent. I think if you gave him half a chance you…"

Alistair held up a hand; thankful he was able to stop her before she was able to finish her statement. With the swing of his head, he motioned towards the door. "It's too early for this conversation. Food comes first then you can finish that sentence."

Both of them completed their morning absolution's and dressed for their busy day. They walked towards the door with arms entwined as they walked to the first floor and into the busy and loud dining hall.

Elissa was barely able to retrieve her breakfast and find a seat before their circle of friends surrounded her, questioning Elissa relentlessly on the subject of Maric seeing as how she had been the only one to speak with him. Before she could answer or even take a bite of her breakfast, a servant in the Vigil's livery approached and quietly informed her of a male guest requesting her presence in his chamber as soon as possible.

_Saved! _She nearly yelled aloud. "I would love to stay here and answer everyone's questions, but I have been summoned." A chorus of disappointed groan came from everyone at the table except Alistair, who was oddly interested in glaring at his plate. "Put those long faces away, I will be taking questions once I'm done speaking with our guest."

"You don't have to jump just because he's called." Alistair muttered bitterly into his plate of food. Smiling, Elissa slowly turned to Alistair, bent down and kissed him fully and heatedly on his lips. Hoots and hollers from their friends and fellow Wardens rung throughout the dining hall.

Elissa pulled her head back a fraction of an inch, her lips lingered over his as she murmured for his ears only, "I don't jump when anyone calls, and unless you want another public display like this I suggest you think before you speak. However, my love, if you care to jump together later…Perhaps that can be arranged" Pulling away from his lips.

There was a furious flush on Alistair's face and a lopsided grin at the implied promise for later. Satisfied she strolled out of dining hall, hoots followed her as she left, as did Alistair bellowed demand for everyone to shut up. The grin spread across her lips remained until she reached Maric's second floor chamber.

* * *

*******

Maric's chamber was comfortable and brightly lit. The two arched windows faced south causing the majority of the room to have a suffused glow throughout the day. A pair of high-back chairs faced the room's fireplace with a small table between them. The bed Maric sat upon was a large four-poster with heavy bed curtains tied to each post. His hands never idle smoothed and stroked the down cover that he was sitting on. Such luxury had not been his over these last several years. Hard ground and a serviceable full circle woolen cloak were his bed more often than not.

At the loud knock at his door, Maric rose from the edge of his bed and bid Elissa to enter. She smiled at him as she entered, and wished him good morning. He could not help but notice the dark circles under her eyes, which told him exactly how she had spent her night. "You look about as good as I feel." He stated absently. She gave him a weak smile and a shrug. "I thank you for coming so quickly."

"Well I was in the neighborhood and all." She answered dryly. "Would you like to continue where we left off?" Secretly she was relieved when Maric shook his head.

"Actually, I called you here to ask a favor or two, both would involve traveling" Noticing the Elissa perking at the idea of traveling he continued, "First thing first. If I am to take back the throne I will need the Chantry records corrected, to declare me as living instead of dead."

"Makes sense." She lowered herself into the chair across in front of the fireplace. Lifting her legs, she slung them over one of the arms so she could converse with Maric. "Do you have a specific Chantry in mind?"

Maric studied the girl, no not a girl but a woman he corrected himself, in front of him. Her beauty certainly was that of her mother- from what he could remember of her-, but her eyes reflected Bryce's intelligence. He knew his plan would be questioned and his answers and reasons scrutinized by this perceptive woman. With a firm tone and a steely look, he uttered his choice. "Denerim. Better to start at the seat of power for Ferelden. It will serve to expedite the process while spreading the word of my return as quickly as possible."

Elissa's immediate response was logical based on a basic tactical assessment. "That is far too dangerous. It would leave you open to any threat Anora were to send your way."

With a decisive snort Maric rolled his eyes in response. "Oh come now, I think you're being a bit paranoid. I doubt Anora would send anything or anyone to kill me."

"Do not doubt Anora's paranoia for a moment. You are a threat to her power, and when Anora feels threatened bandits and assassins are hired to eliminate that threat." Her level tone chilled Maric's blood.

"Oh surely you are just being dramatic! I've known Anora since she was but a babe; she wouldn't kill her husband's father." He chuckled as he watched Elissa for signs of a change in her serious features. There was none. "Oh Maker." His mirth died quickly as he realized she was deadly serious. "You're serious aren't you? She would actually try to kill me?"

The blood rushed from his face and he sunk back down to the edge of his bed.

His mind boggled. What had happened during his absence to so change his country, and those he use to count as friends and family. How could a child he bounced on his knee as she laughed with glee have changed so much? He knew Anora was her father's daughter, with intelligence and a strong devotion to Ferelden.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much, as I think we can work to minimize the risk to you, if you are willing to listen to reason. Now what is the other favor you want of me?" She smiled reassuringly, which did little to untie the knot in the pit of Maric's stomach.

"I was hoping you could travel with me to Redcliffe. I need to speak with Arl Eamon and convince him to call a Landsmeet. Does he still wield influence over the nobles of Ferelden?"

"Yes." Elissa's words came out as a bitter sneer. "So are you afraid of attacks on the road?"

Maric shook his head. "From what I have seen so far the blight and the rebuilding has changed much. Landmarks I knew as well as my own hand have changed. And how would it look for the King of Ferelden to get lost in a darkspawn infested cave?" His mouth quirked up in the same lopsided grin Elissa loved in Alistair. "Then there is the fact that my appearance might cause a shock. I would like to avoid being the cause of an untimely death, and based on what you say that might include my own."

Elissa held her hands up in surrender. "Calm yourself Mairc. I will be more than happy to accompany you, on two conditions." His curiosity was peaked. "I think it would be wise for my friends to accompany us. There is something to be said about safety in numbers." Maric nodded in agreement. "I also want the truth about Fiona."

"That's it? Those are your conditions? I would have at least asked for a gold piece or two."

Elissa loudly snorting in amused laughter, followed by the rolling of her eyes. "Like I believe for a moment you have anything even remotely resembling a gold piece."

"True. However, there is no need to bring attention it the fact that currently my liquid funds are at an all time low. Well low might not be the right term, perhaps lower than low. Unless you count that I am King and there is a treasury, but since we can't lay our hands on it at the moment, I would have to say I am broke." His warm smile broke across his face, as he watched for Elissa's reaction to his attempt at a witty retort.

"You have my deepest apologies, your highness." She said. Maric doubted the sincerity given the smirk on her lips and what he was sure was laughter shaking her shoulders. Pushing himself from the bed, he held out his had to assist her from the chair.

With a gallant bow, he added, "My lady, if you would allow me" Elissa took his hand. His warm long fingers grasped her hand and applied a firm anchor while she lightly pivoted over the arm of the chair to her feet.

Tucking her hand into the crook of his arm, he led her towards the door of his chamber. As he opened the door with is left hand, his right brought up Elissa's hand to his lips in chaste kiss. "Elissa I want to thank you again. I…"

Cutting him off Elissa cleared her throat and said, "Maric, there is no need to thank me. However, I would like to make a suggestion, if you would not mind. "

"By all means."

"There is a Chantry in Redcliffe; the revered mother there is very respectable and fair. Might I suggest we save ourselves an out of the way trip and take call of all business in once place? "

Maric thought of her suggestion for a moment before nodding in agreement. Accomplishing our business in one place I believe would more sense than making two trips. You should gather your party and begin packing supplies. I will make it my job to raid the larder." He made a short bow "I doubt I'll be able to eat at all, give the state of my stomach, but if anything I can pack food for our trip. How many in our party my dear lady?"

A giggle escaped her lips as she answered "Pack for a week and a party of twelve. There will not be that many of us, but all Wardens have healthy appetites. A hungry Warden makes for a poor escort especially when they find out you packed the rations"

With a cheerful smile, Maric once again took her hand placing it on his arm. They walked in a companionable silence as they moved through the grey stone hall towards the main stairway. Reaching the main hall, they parted ways.

Spotting her circle of friends just leaving the dining hall, Elissa quickly intercepted them stopping them short. She proceeded to tell them (rather loudly), of Maric's journey to Redcliffe and need of protection.

"Elissa, may I speak with you in private for just a moment?" Alistair asked cheerfully as he cupped her elbow within his hand, dragging her to the deserted main entrance. Elissa by no means fooled by the cheerful tone; she knew she was in for a lecture.

"Are you out of your ever loving mind?" Afraid someone would hear. He whispered harshly. His brows were furrowed and concern showed in his eyes. "I know you're always willing to help anyone, but how can we trust him? How can we even be sure he is who he claims to be?"

It took all of Elissa's inner self-control not to laugh hysterically at his Anora like paranoia.

"Well first of all, this is why we are going to Redcliffe. Secondly, I hold no doubts that he is who he claims to be, seeing how YOU look almost exactly like him." Alistair flinched at the comparison, but said nothing. "Is this doubt a personal or is this a cautious Warden-Commander speaking?"

"It doesn't matter." This statement answered her question completely. A grin broke out over her face. "Let him hire help."

"Is it not a Warden's duty to think and act in the best interest of his or her country?" She asked sweetly. At this, Alistair could not argue. "Well then Commander, is placing the rightful King upon his throne not within the best interest of Ferelden?"

Knowing she was right, Alistair growled in frustration. "I hate it when you do that."

"I know my love." Softening her stance, she reached up to push a stray hair from his face. The tender loving gesture was not lost on Alistair. "Does that mean you'll be coming with?" He nodded absently. "Keep in mind as acting Commander, you will be in charge."

He gulped and nodded. "I assumed that might be the case." They both turned to the hall where their friends had not even bothered to conceal themselves. "Come on you damn eavesdroppers." Nathaniel, Anders, Zevran, Leliana and Zara stepped forward as one. No words we need, as they, all knew it was time to pack for the familiar journey ahead.

Within two hours, Elissa appointed Varel as the acting Arl until the Arlessa's return. Supplies, weapons, armor and horses were gathered.

She bounced down the steps of the Vigil, excited and full of energy. "Off to Redcliffe we go!" Elissa declared loudly enough for all in the Vigil to hear. With a look of curiosity, Alistair came up beside her.

"Why do you feel the need to let all of Amaranthine know where we are heading?" He asked.

"Just giving the servants the Queen paid to spy on Maric and I their money's worth." She grinned as he gave her a leg up in mounting her horse.

"Oh, and here I thought you just enjoy being loud." He grinned.

"I do, but this time my loudness holds a purpose." She raised a curious brow. "You aren't questioned as to why the Queen would bribe my people. Why?"

With a chuckle and a shrug, he answered, "Because it doesn't surprise me. I am sure she is taking a page from her father, since the man did send assassins after us. "They both looked over their shoulders at Zevran who blew them each a kiss before going about tending to his horse. "At least this trip won't be boring."

"Trips are never boring." Elissa countered cheerfully. While she was not exactly thrilled at the thought of returning to Redcliffe, she was excited over traveling with her friends again. She smiled warmly as her eyes lingered on her traveling companions. It was nearly nostalgic.

"Alright, let's head out!" Alistair ordered loudly, glancing over his shoulder at Elissa and winking before his horse galloped ahead of the others, who quickly followed.

At the rear of the group Maric was mounted and looking nervous at his horse. While his horsemanship had improved, it could not have very well gotten worse; over the years of the rebellion, he was by no means comfortable astride a horse. Both Loghain and Rowan had constantly tried to improve his skill they had only succeeded in allowing him to take far longer to fall off then previously. With any luck, he would keep the landing on his royal backside to a minimum

* * *

********

Two human female servants stood on the steps watching the party leave. Both had a satisfied smile on their face, for they would be ten gold pieces richer by the day's end. While they liked their Arlessa well enough, ten gold pieced to spy on a person was a tempted and hard offer to pass up.

"Messenger?" One asked. The other scoffed at her question.

"Of course you twit. I'll write the letter since I'm smarter."

"Shut up! You are not!"

"You don't even know how to read much less write! How on earth do you expect the Queen to make sense of scribbles?"

"You write the letter then." The happy servants retired to their shared bedroom to compose a letter to the Queen informing her of the whereabouts and actions of the Arlessa, followed by a night of heavy drinking and lovemaking; celebrating their new found riches.

* * *

_A/N: The banter between Alistair and Elissa near the begging was something I had in my head at the start of the first story, but I never was able to put them in a situation where I could use it. Thank goodness they gave me the chance here. That scene was going to drive me crazy if I couldn't use it. _

_As usual a huge thanks to Linette23 for a wonderful editing and rewriting job. A huge thanks to all of you for adding me to lists, and for all of your helpful comments, and reviews. You guys are awesome!_

_Oh and since I forgot the usual disclaimer. All of these characters, names and settings are owned by the over lords at Bioware. _


	3. Are you bored yet?

**A/N: I would have updated this a month ago when it was actually done. But my editor/co-author has pulled a disappearing act me. So this chapter is very unedited. I've been over this chapter with a fine comb, rewritten it more times than I'd care to recall, and put it through 3 different editing programs. But, If anyone finds anything out of place please don't hesitate to pm me. I will fix the problem as soon as I am able. Until either my editor reappears or until l I can find a new editor who is willing to also co-write as well (Yes I've tried official beta's. I'm had no sucess there at all) this will be my last update. If anyone out there has some spare time to read and edit please drop me a line.**

**There is smut near the end of this chapter. So it is by no means work safe. **

**There is also a history lesson in this chapter. In the middle of writing it my brain turned to mush. The lameness of writers block. So if any of you have any suggestions, or ideas feel free to send them my way. Thanks too all of you who read and favorite and review my story you are all wonderful!  
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* * *

The morning travels were, as all had expected, uneventful as the party traveled down a well known merchant's path. While the path made horse travel easier, Alistair had been concerned about traveling so openly on a well traveled path, but his reservations had long subsided since discussing the issue with his companions. However, he found discussing his concerns at great length with Elissa to be amusing. It was not only a way to pass the time, but she was so Maker damned cute when she was frustrated.

"I still don't understand why you are so against us traveling through the woods. The greenery would give us something in the way of cover," he argued followed by a heavy sigh. Riding next to him

Elissa growled softly in irritation.

"Oh good Maker Alistair! We are half a day ahead of anyone she may send. It will take hours for any messenger to reach the palace. Not to mention the time it would take for Anora to gather any men and their time spent traveling and searching for us." The irritation was heavy in her voice as she spoke. This discussion felt as if it had been going on for hours. She was more than ready for it to end.

"I suppose you have a point."

"You suppose I have a point?" Elissa repeated through clinched teeth. " It's only the same Maker damned point I've been trying to make for the LAST HALF HOUR!" she yelled, her face red with anger. She hated losing her temper, but the man was infuriating at times.

Alistair turned his head away just in time to hide the amused smirk spread across his lips. Turning back once he regained his composure, the redness in her cheeks along with her narrowed eyes told him it was time to put an end to the argument.

"Oh fine. We'll stay the course I suppose." He sighed dramatically in defeat. "But we're skipping lunch." There was a series of disapproving groans from everyone. "Oh quiet now, all of you. Just think how much better dinner will just taste." The grumbles behind him continued. Riding through lunch was something he had planned on doing either way. He wanted to place as much distance between them and Denerim as possible. If that meant missing a meal or two, then so be it.

"That is beyond cruel Alistair." Zevran was forced to yell so to be heard over the complaints of everyone else in the party. "I suppose after such a time without food, even your cooking would be a welcomed sight." No one who had tasted Alistair's cooking, not even Alistair himself, could argue with that factual point.

Elissa was particularly annoyed by this announcement. With no food in her stomach she felt her mood beginning to sour. She hoped Alistair did not decide to start another one of his paranoid tangents. In her current state of surliness she would have kicked him from his horse and not feel guilty for doing so. Suddenly, out of nowhere a hand appeared to her right; in the hand was a large stick of dried jerky meat. Looking over her shoulder, she smiled at Maric in thanks.

"It's my fault you missed out on breakfast. Zevran also informed me of how irritable you become when hungry. Thus, I believe I'm doing us all a favor." He said as he winked at Elissa, who wasted no time in devouring the salty stick of meat. It was hardly filling, but for now disaster had been avoided.

Alistair turned to Elissa, feeling unbelievably guilty for not remembering her lack of food or the foul mood which follows. "I'm so sorry Eli. I completely forgot about that. I'll tell everyone to stop." Alistair started to raise his hand to order everyone to stop. Elissa shook her head and waved a dismissive hand.

"It's alright," said Elissa as she placed a hand on his top of Alistair's, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. "We will make better time if we don't make too many stops along the way."

They rode in silence for a time. While Elissa was positive they would have no royal trouble today, they were by no means safe. There were wild bears, wolves, desperate bandits and highwaymen to contend with.

Their silence was short lived, much to Elissa's relief. Guiding his horse closer to her own, he cleared his throat before speaking, "Might I ask a question?"

"Of course."

"Last night in the hall," Alistair started and paused as he thought how to best word his question. Elissa waited for him to continue. "I couldn't help but notice how cold you and Anora were to one another." Looking thoughtfully into the distance for a moment, Elissa only shrugged. Alistair raised a curious brow. "I was slightly confused since, upon my arrival, she led me to believe the two of you were rather close."

A shortly bitter chuckle came from Elissa. "Did she now?" said Elissa., who was hardly surprised the Queen had used her knowledge of Elissa's problems to her advantage. It was not the first time the Queen had stooped to such measures to get what she wanted, nor would it be the last.

"Indeed. She used the power of guilt in order to make me accept your job." At this Elissa laughed aloud. With a roll of his eyes, Alistair waited patiently for her laughter to stop.

"She most certainly did not." Elissa snorted in disbelief as her laughter slowly subsided. "Not to say that whatever she told you wasn't hurtful. I'm sure it was meant to make you feel horribly guilty, otherwise she would not have said anything at all. But really Alistair, to say such unbelievable things. With a straight face no less. " said Elissa as her laughing became low chuckles.

Alistair neither denied nor confirmed her accusation. With his face impassive and demeanor unreadable Elissa continued, "You don't allow people like Anora to guilt you into anything you don't wish to do." She stated firmly as she turned her head slightly to face him. "When did you change your mind about leading?" She teased.

A impish smile broke out across his lips as he shook his head. "Oh no, no, no my dear. You answer my question first. Then will I will be more than happy to answer yours." He nearly sang. Elissa rolled her eyes in annoyance. She was currently resisting the overwhelming urge to push him off his horse.

"Due to my state of mind over the last several years, Anora and I were never given the time to built any kind of lasting friendship or…any kind of relationship at all. I doubt I could build any kind of lasting friendship with someone who sends her spies to keep an eye on me." Elissa stated dully.

She felt rather sorry for the Queen. The woman was so insecure she had to make those around feel just as she does in order to make herself feel better. On the other hand, she did not approve of being spied upon by anyone for any reason.

"They must have been awful spies if you knew you were being watched." Alistair said followed by a low chuckle.

Elissa shrugged. "They were good spies, but horrible at finding effective hiding places while wearing the Queen's colors. I had no idea why anyone would want to spy on me. I wasn't positive who was spying on me until my trip to Orlais." She glanced sideways at Alistair. His bitter sneer nearly made her chuckle aloud. "She didn't bother asking for details of my meeting with the Empress. However, she did ask if I was alright after seeing you," she said keeping her tone even and void of emotion. Her words made him flinch along side his disgusted sneering. She had understood and forgiven Alistair's whoring, just as he had forgiven her for the Landsmeet (not to say he didn't bring it up at times) . However, part of Elissa rather enjoyed watching his discomfort. But T'was not an event she wished to mention often.

"I had assumed you reported everything you saw." He said. His mind disparately searching for a different conversational path. He was nearly overjoyed when the image of the journals, and their hiding place flashed within his mind. "Is she the reason behind the hiding of your journals? Your hiding spot was brilliant."

Obviously, it was not brilliant enough, she thought to herself, followed by an inward sneer. While she was thankful Alistair was the person who found them, she was still angry someone had found them at all. It took her all damn day to build hollow out that drawer. Frowning as she silently nodded in response, but did not elaborate on the subject any further.

"To answer your question, no. We aren't friends. I doubt we ever will be, especially now that I'm helping her competition."

At this, Alistair found himself to be rather relieved. Elissa had made odd friends over the years. Befriending and confiding in a distrusting, power hungry, and manipulative person like Anora, even in her crazed lyrium state, was out of sorts for her.

Satisfied with her answer, for now, it was time to return the favor by answer her question. "My second year in Orlais I was give charge of a small group of men. At first I was terrified. I thought for sure I would be the death of them all. Slowly I realized that leading is not exactly as frightening as I once believed it to be. Once I realized this, leading became easier, even fun at times. It also gave me a better understand of what kind of pressure you were under." Shifting uncomfortable under her watchful yet sympathetic gaze, Alistair cleared his throat before continuing.

"Once Anora finally revealed her reason for asking me back into Ferelden, it didn't take me long to make my decision. But, I didn't want to make it too easy for her," he said chuckling at he memory of how pleased Anora looked when he nearly walked away from her offer. " You can hardly blame me for wanting to have a bit of fun with the horrid little harpy, before accepting anything she had to offer. Anyways, I gave her a chance to feel as if she swayed me. Never let it be said I'm not a giving person." They grinned at one another and shared in a private chuckle.

The day's journey came and went with no attacks from the local wildlife or assassins. Alistair ordered the party to stop for the night just as the sun began setting. The companions went about setting up tents and fires for both cooking and warmth.

"I'll start on cooking." Alistair announced as he started towards the cooking fire. Elissa, Leliana and Zevran glanced worriedly at one another. Their stomachs began churning at the very idea of Alistair's cooking.

"NO!" Elissa, Leliana and Zevran yelled at the same moment. Alistair did his best to look hurt at their loud protests. Inwardly he rejoiced at the idea of not cooking. "Lel and I will cook." Elissa said. No one protested as the two women began preparing an Ox meat and vegetable stew. With a triumphant smile on his face, Alistair took a seat beside Zevran around the roaring campfire.

"Surely your cooking can't be as that bad?" Nathaniel asked, having never had he seen such a reaction from Elissa before. She had never been fussy when it came to food.

"It is." Alistair stated proudly with an impish grin. "I have the grand ability to turn even the finest meats into something gray, tasteless, and if you're really lucky charred."

"It's true," Zara shuddered at the thought of his cooking. "I don't believe I've ever had fish quite so…uniquely favored before."

While everyone else sitting around the fire spoke about their own cooking adventures and mishaps; Alistair watched Elissa and Leliana as they dropped chunks of cubed meat and chopped vegetables into the medium sized cauldron. Leliana spoke quietly as she chopped vegetables, while Elissa stirred everything in the pot together. It was obvious whatever Leliana was saying was surprising, if not intriguing to Elissa. On occasion, she would glance in his direction, but quickly broke from his gaze once she noticed he was looking at her.

This worried him slightly. The two were in a habit of over sharing information, there was little doubted in his mind that had changed in the years they spent apart.

The stew did not last long once it was finished cooking, leaving all with full stomachs and satisfied. Both Elissa and Leliana were now the official camp cooks. Neither minded their new title as long as it kept Alistair from fixing any meals.

Maric waited until after everyone was finished eating before speaking. He turned to face Elissa. "Since the night is young and since I am in no way bored out of my mind. Why don't you remedy this by giving me a lesson in Ferelden history?" Elissa shrugged and nodded.

Much to both Maric and Elissa's surprise, no one left. "I'm not forcing any of you to sit and listen if you do not wish so. Sit down Maric," she scolded the former King, before he could completely push himself from the ground. Still no one moved.

"I've been far too busy escaping from the Tower to pay attention to any Ferelden happenings. Nathaniel here, has been in the wet Marches…"

"Free Marches." Nathaniel corrected dully.

"Yes, yes. Whatever," he said with a dramatic roll of the eyes. "Zara here was busy speaking with trees."

"I was not speaking with trees…"

"The point is," he emphasized as he spoke over Zara, "none of us were exactly paying attention to the happenings around us. I'm interested to hear what you have to say." All around the fire nodded in agreement.

Elissa took a moment to sort out events in her head. Once she had them all in order, she looked directly at Maric as she spoke. "The chantry, reluctantly, waited a year to the day before making your demise official. Much of the delay was due to Loghain; reluctant to believe you of all people could succumb to the sea. After a year he reluctantly announced your demise himself."

"I'm hardly surprised. He was never one who could let anything go," he said sounding thoughtful. He shook his head clear of his thoughts, turning towards Elissa. "I'm sorry my dear. It is just strange hearing of my death. Go on."

She nodded. "There was a month of mourning after the announcement. A month later Cailan was officially crowned as our new King. One month after his coronation he and Anora were married." That was one wedding she was glad her mother didn't drag her to. Yet another way her mother would attempt to pair her up with the young noble men of Ferelden.

"The people expectations of Cailan were high, since he was your son." She hated referring to Cailan in pretense. She could see Maric flinch every time she she spoke as such. But she did not know how else to speak of the former King. She took a deep breath before continuing.

"It was obvious to all nobility that Cailan had no interest in politics. Thus Anora slowly began taking his seat in Landsmeets. This left Cailan with plenty of time to travel to Orlais." Maric's brow raised. " It was to procure the Empress Celene's support. He felt our two nations should place our differences behind us, and start anew. Also he wanted the support of the Orleasian Wardens."

"Why?" Maric asked.

"Darkspawn attacks were rare. There being any Darkspawn at all had people worried. Loghain told me Cailan wanted to end the attacks before they became serious." Elissa chose her words very carefully. It had been long assumed Cailan and Celene were involved. She thought it best not to go on about such things with the man's father. It's best he hear about his son's accomplishments instead of his scandalous love life.

"All of that sounds oddly familiar." Maric sighed heavily. "Why Orlais though?" His eyes sought out Leliana's, giving her an apologetic look. Leliana waved his concern away with a flick of her hand, paired with a warm smile. "While I don't bare any ill will towards any Orleasians, I believe there are plenty of other nations we haven't been at war with, who would have gladly helped us."

At that, Elissa smirked and nearly laughed. "Sorry, but Loghain was very much in the same frame of mind. Only his concerns were a little more colorfully worded and based on prejudice rather than sense."

She thought back to one of the many conversations she had with Loghain before he died. This had been one of them. His hatred for everything Orleasian had etched into his very soul. In theory she couldn't blame him or Maric for their frame of mind. Her feels would be much the same, had she grown up in such a time and war. "Perhaps he wanted to prove himself a worthy diplomat. It could have been was easier than asking Weisshaupt. Orlais is certainly much closer than the Anderfelds. " Not to mention friendlier, she silently added. "No one knew nor questions Cailan's motives."

"I have a question." Alistair interrupted. "This all happened eight years ago, which would have made you about..." Alistair looked off thoughtfully for a moment as he subtracted the numbers in his head. "Sixteen. If I'm not mistaken." Elissa nodded, as she knew exactly where he was going to ask next. "Now why does a sixteen year old feel the need to keep up to date on the happenings of Ferelden?"

Elissa smiled fondly at the memory of sneaking into her father's room and looking through notes he had received from fellow nobles and even the King himself. "Is it so very shocking that I would want to keep up to date of everything that was happening within my own homeland?"

"Yes." Everyone said at once. Defeated, Elissa slumped forward, resting her hands on her chin and sighed. "I would sneak into my father's room and peaked at his letters to and from other nobles. He would yell at me to leave his things be. Thank the Maker I have selective hearing." Everyone within the fire circle chuckled.

Elissa took a moment to allow them time to laugh._ Arseholes_ She chuckled.

"I was under the impression that daughters of popular nobles sat with other equally popular lasses and giggled about fashion, complained about how gross commoners are and drooled over boys." Anders stated with a chuckle.

"Most do." She rolled her eyes. Which is why I wasn't friends with any of them. "I hate fashion, I don't see any person as common, and I had no interest in the noble boys."

Alistair cleared his throat and smiled knowingly at her. "I beg to differ my dear." inclining his head towards Nathaniel.

Damn my journal! "Most noble boys then." She corrected as she turned in Nathaniel's direction. "Nathaniel. You were my exception." Nathaniel did not appear to be surprised. However, the confession did earn her a rare grin. "You were older, didn't say much, which was oh so mysterious, and more importantly, you knew how to use a sword."

"Finish with your lesson Elissa." Nathaniel ordered impatiently. Being one whom never did like being the center of attention; Elissa knew when to let a subject involving Nate drop.

"The merchant's guild held far more power back then. The guild controlled nearly all of the trade within Ferelden, which was wonderful for Ferelden's economy. They not only worked closely with local smithy and farmers, they always gave back to the people,which made them well loved by all. Sadly, over time, as the darkspawn attacks became more frequent, the merchant caravans suffered greatly. Thus, supply shortages in almost every major city soon followed."

"Farmlands suffered at the hands of the Darkspawn as well, as did the metal supply, which did not bode with for the guild either."

"I wasn't a Grey Warden then thus, I am not entirely sure when the Darkspawn hoard made it's presence known. I only saw the letter the King sent my father asking for his aid in Ostagar." Barely able to keep her eyes open; she decided it was time to end the lesson. "The story of the blight will have to wait for another night." She turned to faced Maric. "Has my lesson cured your lack of Boredom?"

Maric sighed and shook his head. "Sadly no," he said as he pushed himself off the ground. " I'm sure if I stare at the ceiling of my tent long enough, I should find myself sleep in no time. I thank you for having such a wonderful memory and leaving out the boring bits." He soon disappeared into his tent.

Everyone else soon followed suit bidding each other a goodnight before disappearing into their own tents. Leliana and Zevran stayed seated as they offered to take the night's watch.

Before he could enter his tent, Elissa placed her hand on Nathaniel's shoulders. This was hardly something she wanted to bring up, but she knew he would find out eventually. "Ummm… Well, it's actually really funny. See, Maric and I were speaking of Ostagar and how Cailan died. That isn't the funny part. What is funny is, Maric coming across some several bottles of Antivian Brandy hidden in the desk. Even funnier is when both of us drank all three bottles. Ha, ha?" She laughed nervously.

With his arms crossed in front of his cheat, along with a curious brow raised; Nathaniel searched Elissa's face and nearly chuckled allowed. Was she actually scared of him and what he might do over a couple bottles of brandy? He could hardly imagine why she would believe such a thing. For now he would play the part of being unamused by the situation. "I'm still waiting for the funny part."

"I'm really sorry Nathaniel. I promise I'll buy you more next time we are in Amaranthine. Unless... you happened to be saving them. " Her head snapped up, eyes filled with worry. "Oh good Maker! Were they for special a special occasion? I am so sor…."

Chuckling, Nathaniel placed his hands on each of her shoulders. "Really Elissa, it's all right. While I think it's vastly unhealthy for two people to drink three large bottles of Brandy in one night; they weren't there for any particular purpose. I'm not worried about it. I know you'll replace what you and Maric drank." He gave her shoulders a reassuring squeeze. "I'm sorry I didn't get to know you better when we were younger. Women, especially noble women, were the last thing on my mind."

Elissa smiled warmly. "As I imagined they would be. Tis alright my friend." Nathaniel returned her smile with one of his own. Giving her shoulders one last squeeze, Nathaniel disappeared into his tent. After bidding Zevran and Leliana a goodnight, she joined Alistair in their tent.

* * *

**Denerim (Evening)**

A messenger from Vigil's Keep had arrived an hour ago. The frightened boy handed one of the Queen's guardsmen a poorly written note, collected his money and left. Shortly after receiving and reading the note, the Queen and her guards set out for Fort Drakon.

While Elissa and Maric's departure hardly surprised Anora, the large party they took did. What was Elissa playing at? What did she hope to gain in helping Mairc? Was she still suffering from her bout of insanity? These were all pointless questions. Crazy or no, the Queen would no permit anyone, Rightful or no, to come between her and her hard earned throne.

Followed by the royal guard, the Queen weaved her way through the prison. Knowing exactly where to go, she made her way to the lower chambers, ;here her assassins were imprisoned.

Her presence surprised none of the guards, as each one as the all bowed as she passed. _I come here far too often. Perhaps I should move them into the city_." She thought to herself as she moved quickly through the prison, down to the lower level, where her mix of bards and assassins reside.

She waited patiently as several of her guardsmen went from room to room gathering her best assassins on hand. _She'll be expecting this. You are simply wasting perfectly good men_. She told herself. Yes, they would most likely fail, but it would keep the Wardens and Maric on guard, paranoid, not knowing what to expect from her. Fear is indeed a powerful weapon. The assassins would slow her down, allowing Anora and her advisers to come up with a more suitable plan of action.

She chose two men at random, she knew they were well trained, Ferelden born assassins. "I need you both to find a large group traveling in the direction of Redcliffe. Within the group there are two men who look alike. They are father and son. It should become obvious upon site who is whom. Tis the old one I am concerned with. They are most likely camped within the woods by now. Should the two of you leave within the hour, tis possible to reach them by morning."

The assassins nodded their acknowledgment. "Once you have finished this task, find a woman traveling with them. She has short silver hair, sharp nose, and dangerously thin. Bring her to me unharmed. I will take her delivery as sign of completion."

The two men bowed deeply then wordlessly left to prepare their horses. She waited for the two to leave before turning to one of her more trusted royal guards/spies. "Follow them." She muttered shortly in his ear. He left without a word towards his own horse.

Anora was anxious to leave. This place always made her vastly uncomfortable. She need to return to the palace as soon as possible. Should this plan fail, she wanted to have a better plan in place. Damn you Grey Wardens. I wish Maric would have never allowed you lot back into Ferelden.

* * *

**The Middle of Nowhere**

Upon entering their tent, Elissa silently watched Alistair as he freed himself from his trousers. Her eyes drinking in the sight of his well portioned, muscular body. _Maker but he is beautiful_, she nearly sighed aloud.

An evil smirk spread across her lips, as she made quick work of sliding out of her own armor. She closed the distance between them. Standing before him naked, she placing a hand on each broad shoulder. She push him down onto the bedroll below, since the element of surprise was on her side this was an easy enough task to accomplish.

Surprised, Alistair opened his mouth to protest. He quickly snapped it mouth shut as she straddled his midsection.

"I had planned on actually sleeping tonight, but this is just as good." Grinning impishly, Alistair's right hand slid up her her thighs. Finding the wetness between her legs, he slid a finger into her surprisingly wet warmth. A series of soft gasps escaped Elissa as Alistair moved his finger. His pace was maddeningly slow. He gave no sign to appease her need for faster thrusts from his finger. Her frustration mixed with pleasure brought him a great deal of satisfaction.

"Had I known history excited you this much, I would have been quoting history texts ages ago..." he said with an amused smirk.

Suddenly, Elissa reached between her legs, forcefully removing his finger from her. Forcing his hand down, pinning it to the ground. Bending her upper-half of her body downwards towards him, her lips hovered over his, a playful smirk spreading across her lips as she spoke,

"My dearest Commander. Tis hardly history that excites me so." She brought her lips down upon his, kissing him with such force and passion he almost didn't notice her hand around him, slowly caressing his length.

Groaning throatily into her lips, he inched his free hand towards her her thigh. Before he could touch anything, she stopped caressing his length, capturing his wrist, pinning it down to the ground.

With Alistair restrained, Elissa removed her lips from his, raised her hips over his erection, she hovered for only a moment, then slowly lowered herself inch by agonizing inch down his length . His breathing was ragged; his eyes filled with frustration. "I do believe I promised you a pouncing. I'm always a girl of my word," she purred as she continued to lower herself down his shaft., never once taking her eyes from his.

They both gasped as she took the last of him within herself. Immediately she was quickly gliding up and down his shaft. A series of soft wimpering escaped from her lips with every thrust. Alistair knew he would not last long if she kept with this pace. Every time he attempted to bring up his hands, her grip would tighten around his wrists. "Elis…." Was all he managed to get out before her lips crushed down upon his.

Even after her own release, Elissa's pace was relentless, until Alistair gave any sign of release. Her pace slowed and nearly stopped as she waiting for him to come down from his pending orgasm, before resuming her relentless thrusts. He wanted to beg for release whenever he tried to speak, she would silence him with a fiercely passionate kiss. She teased the poor Commander only once more, before finally allowing him the release he so urgently desired.

Exhausted and sore, Elissa sprawled across Alistair's chest, resting her head under his chin, both drenched from head to toe in sweat and gasping for air. Placing a hand under her chin, Alistair tilted her face upwards. His brow raised curiously, a slight smirk played at the edges of his lips. While he enjoyed what had just happened, she had never been aggressive before. He was curious where this new urge had come from.

"Might I ask what that was about?" He asked still breathless.

"It was an experiment." She said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Well. That…"experiment". Felt an awful lot like domination to me." Glancing down, he saw worry in her features. Good Maker. Of course, she takes the time afterward to worry. He tenderly kissed her forehead.

"If your made the connection, then my experiment was indeed a success." She grinned. "Lel told me some men like such things. I may have added things of my own." She said proudly as she rolled off to of Alistair and onto the adjoining bedroll.

Alistair rolled his eyes and groaned. "I knew it," He sighed softly as he wrapping his arm around her waist, pulling her against his body. "You know I'm all for trying new things. I'd just rather not try new things suggested by anyone we're currently traveling with." He said. "I'd prefer it if you didn't speak with Lel about our…well you know."

"Aww, that's so cute. You're embarrassed." Elissa giggled.

"No. I'm afraid she'll put the idea into your head that we men enjoy being strung up by our toes, while locked in a dark room." He shuddered at the thought.

"Oh come now," she chuckled. Reaching behind her head, she caressed his cheek with her fingertips. "I would never do that."

"Well I'm not sure I enjoy being dominated either." He watched as her brow creased in concern. "It may need to happen again, if only to be certain." Her concern quickly disappeared. Leaning her head back against his chest, Elissa was soon asleep. After watching her for a time, Alistair also fell asleep.

* * *

Rushing to dress herself, Elissa's adrenaline was high as the unmistakable sound of clashing daggers came from outside. She was dressed, armed with her daggers and out of the tent before Alistair was finished fastening his breastplate.

Two men, dressed in the colors of Ferelden were slashing at a wounded Leliana and Zevran. Without wasting a moment, Elissa was by Leliana's side, taking the assassin's attention away from the wounded Bard.

Staring at the colors of the men's clothing, Elissa felt a familiar feeling taking form within her. Oh no not now, she hissed at herself. Anger for Anora flowed through every vain in her body, her vision bled red. She knew keeping her anger back was no longer an option.

Her daggers danced across every pressure point upon the upper half of the assassin's body, blood splashing back in Elissa's face as she made each stab on his body. The assassin slumped to the ground, she moved on to Zevran's attacker.

With one dagger buried deep within the assassin's chest, she ran the other dagger across his neck. Blood spewed and poured from his wound. Gasping desperately for air, the assassin's hands flew up to his neck in an attempt to stop the blood. The assassin knew it was pointless, and soon slumped to the ground, gasping for air.

Elissa hovered over the already dying assassin, repeatedly shoving her blade deep into his chest. He was dead within moments, yet she continued to bury her blade deep into his chest.

"Elissa! Stop!" She heard Alistair yell just before he grabbed her from behind, yanking her off top the long dead assassin. She flailed wildly for a moment. Slowly her anger began to subside as it registered in her mind the Queen's assassin's were dead

"Pack things up before more decide to show up." She heard Alistair sternly order. Immediately everyone began packing things up. "Andraste's blood." He whispered breathlessly in her ear. "Can I put you down now?" Elissa nodded. Alistair placed her on the ground and slowly released his grip around her waist. "I read about it, but I didn't believe it."

"I'm sorry." She said as she continued to stare down at the dead bodies. "I don't know what came over me. Sometimes I can't control my anger. It won't happen again." She walked off towards the campfire and stomped out what little fire remained. She could feel the frightened and confused gaze on her, ignoring them was no easy task. It scares me too, everyone.

"Pack up and head towards the woods. We're taking other trails today. "He called out as he worked on rolling up his and Elissa's tent, all the while thinking back on the scene he had just witnessed.

Reading about it in her journal and actually seeing it are two different things. He frowned at himself and his inability to make any sort of connection sooner. _Uncontrollable rage, seeing red…How stupid am I, Maker damn it, why the hell didn't I see it before? That sounds like the makings of a Berserker_


	4. Fathers and Sons

**AN: Thanks to my new editor ArtemysFavr for bravely offering to beta and edit my jumbled messes. Please look up and read her stories. they are dark and completely wonderful! **

**This is a short chapter if only because I felt Maric and Alistair needed to start a bonding process. I know it's a bit of a lack luster chapter, I swear I'll try to work in some action into the next chapter. **

* * *

After the mornings events Alistair ordered the group to travel the lesser known trails within the surrounding woods. It would add an extra day or two to their journey, but Alistair, along with everyone else, knew sacrificing convenience for safety was worth the delay.

Out of the corner of his eye Alistair glanced worriedly at Elissa, who had been silently riding beside him since he had revealed his own berserker suspicions. He had been expecting laughter, adamant denial and maybe a joke over him having such a thought. Much to his surprise she had simply shrugged and turned her attention back watching the woods. While her silence on the subject irritated him to no end, he knew when to give her space. It was best to let the subject be. For now.

_Berserker. Ha! That is just ridiculous! _Elissa scoffed inwardly and nearly laughed aloud at the mere idea of herself having such an ability. Yet, the more she thought on the subject the more she suspected Alistair may be right. However the more she thought on the possibility of actually being a berserker, the more terrifying the idea became.

_Oh Maker._ She softly groaned so no one else could hear. While her stomach was tied in knots, her mind spun with denial. _Perhaps if I ignore it like I did when I was on lyrium, it will go away on its own. _She only barely resisted the urge to physically smack some sense into herself. _There is no way I can be a Berserker. I'm not even the right type_….

This thought lead her to regain control of her own brain. _Type. What the hell does that even mean anymore? Type is fairly meaningless anymore when mages can become warriors.. Argh! this is all so confusing. _She heaved a heavy and clearly audible sigh. She would simply have to wait until she could find someone with the ability so she could question them endlessly. Disappointed that her own rational mind could not come up with any sensible answers, she allowed it to wander back into denial and wild speculation.

Her inner turmoil had not gone completely unnoticed. Even though Maric could only see the back of her head he could tell simply by her tense riding posture she was troubled. Thanks to the power of deduction, Maric assumed it was the morning events; along with Alistair's suspicions that were weighing heavily on her mind. He hadn't meant to ease drop, it just kind of happened that way.

Her handling of the morning assassin situation had intrigued far more than frightened him. Speaking on the subject would have to wait until she had time to work through her feelings and doubts. Maker only knew how long that would be.

The day's travels were (thankfully), uneventful. By nightfall the ground found a clearing with a lake, making some much needed bathing possible. They took care of the horses first, making sure each horse was fed, given water and resting comfortably by the lake before they proceeded to set up camp. Elissa silently went to work carving up the meat (Waving away Leliana's offer to help with the meal) which was to be roast over the fire Alistair was busy starting, while everyone else went about setting up tents.

Dinner was consumed in virtual silence, with the occasional glance in Elissa's direction, which, in turn, made her self-conscious. Elissa quickly devoured her meal, excused herself and nearly ran towards the lake in an attempt to escape the curious glances. She dropped to the ground next to the lake and released the breath she had not realized she had been holding, relieved to have a moment to herself. Listening to the branches crunching under heavy footsteps, she knew her relief would be short lived.

"I was merely curious when you might be finished falling on that blade of yours?" Maric groaned as he lowered himself to the ground next to Elissa on the ground. "You don't seem (to me) like the wallowing sort."

Her head snapped up, glaring at the former King she started to say, "I-no..." Elissa was about to argue and deny Maric's accusation, but found she could not. The annoyance slowly disappeared from her eyes as she continued, "Nosy old bugger." They both smirked and chuckled softly.

"I willingly admit I am rather nosy, my dear. But I do so resent being called old." He said sounding genuinely insulted.

"I had no idea you were so very sensitive. My **deepest** apologies your Highness." Each word dripped with sarcasm.

Maric smirked slightly and shrugged. "You're deflecting my original question with humor, which actually is oddly familiar." He found the tactic far more annoying when others used it. Now he finally understood why those around them were always so annoyed with him.

Elissa's smile slowly faded away. The humor in her eyes was replaced by confusion. She then pulled her knees to her chest, resting her chin on her knees. "I haven't fallen on a sword. I'm simply confused."

"There are worse things than being able to channel your anger into a productive and helpful ability."

"You really are a nosy bugger." Elissa's brow rose slightly. Maric made no effort to deny the truth of his nature. He was nosy and he knew it. He merely grinned in silent response. "When you say it like that, the whole idea doesn't seem so scary."

"I understand why it would scare you. However, you don't even know if it's true. It's merely a theory at this point." He could tell his words did very little to calm her worries. Time for a different strategy. "You know, the ability itself doesn't have to be scary. You simply need to learn to stop suppressing it; learn to control and use it to your advantage."

Elissa chuckled bitterly. "How do you propose I go about doing that? The only berserker I know isn't allowed to leave his home in Denerim." Which was of course by Elissa's own doing. Oghren was going to learn to enjoy being a family man _if it killed him._ Coming to him with a problem like this would just give him the crazy excuse to leave Felsi and the baby again.

"I bet it would thrill Eamon to teach you." Maric laughed at Elissa's wide eyed surprise and shock. "We didn't always have creaking bones and wrinkles my dear."

"You'll have to forgive me for being so skeptical; Arl Eamon has always appeared to be so...subdued and calm."

"Because he has learned to control is ability. If you truly are a berserker as Alistair suggests, then I believe you should talk to Eamon. If he's unable to show you how to control the ability, then at the very least he should be able to talk you through the basics." he said. In a moment of feeling rather fatherly, Maric put a comforting arm around Elissa's shoulder, pulling her into a hug, which she willingly allowed. "All will be well my dear. You need to learn how to ask for help from those around you." he whispered to the young woman.

Elissa sighed heavily against his chest. "You sound like Alistair." Elissa picked up her head slightly from Maric's chest; looking over his shoulder towards the large tree behind them. "Isn't that right my dear." She called out to the tree.

"Damn!" Alistair swore as he stepped out from behind the tree. "I thought my hiding place was clever and inconspicuous." He said as he brushed off the remaining tree bark. Both Elissa and Maric snorted in mocking laughter. "Stop that." He smirked at Elissa's laughter. Even though he wasn't the person who had gone about making her feel better (it annoyed him to no end), to hear her laugh again was something of a relief.

She carefully removed herself from Maric and pushed herself off of the ground. Holding out a hand to Maric, helping him off the ground as well. He groaned quietly as he stood, Elissa couldn't help but chuckle.

I'm not old." He hissed defensively.

"Of course not my King." She rolled her eyes. "Now if you two would kindly leave so I may clean this dried blood." She kindly asked before placing a hand on both Alistair and Maric's back, and gently pushed them towards the camp.

"Fine, I can take a hint." Alistair playfully huffed. He planted a small kiss on her forehead before strolling towards the camp.

"He still hates me." Maric sighed heavily.

"I've told you before, Maric, he doesn't hate you. It's a little more complicated than that." She said as she removed her hands from Maric's back. Her heart and stomach clinched as her eyes fell upon the sadness in Maric's features as well as his eyes. _Alistair is going to kill me. _She thought to herself as she whispered in Maric ear.

"That will do quite nicely you clever little minx." He winked and smiled widely before turning back to the camp. Elissa was relieved to finally be able to wash the dried blood that had been bothering her since the morning.

* * *

"We're taking watch tonight." Alistair informed Elissa upon her return from the lake. She had hoped he would say something to that effect, as it directly played in to her and Maric's plan.

It was time to put her acting skills to the test. She stretched her arms over her head. "Good Maker but I am tired." She said, her words followed by a loud and mighty yawn. "I don't think I could possibly keep myself up tonight." She looked about the camp at all the tired faces.

"But we always take watch together… It's our thing. " A lump of dread formed in the back of Elissa's throat at the disappointment in his voice and on his face. Casting a glance at Maric's hopeful face, Elissa took a deep breath and forced down the lump in her throat before continuing.

"I know it is." She said giving him a genuine sympathetic smile as she slid her hands into his. "To be perfectly honest, after the excitement this morning and everything else, I don't trust myself around any kind of weapon. I just want to lay down, think over my options and eventually fall asleep." Very little acting was involved in this, as that was her original plan for the night. Alistair shrugged and nodded in understanding. "You'll just have to find someone else to take watch with you."

"I happen to be wide awake; not to mention good with a sword." quipped Maric who spoke up right on cue. Staring at Elissa, confusion came over Alistair's face until his brain was able to register what had been said.

"No. Absolutely not," He whispered low enough for only Elissa to hear. "Anyone but him."

"If you'll look around you dearest, no one else is available. You can't avoid him forever. " She gave him a kiss on the cheek followed by a quick hug. "Well, goodnight!" She sang cheerfully as she briskly walked past a confused Alistair, and disappearing into their tent. Leaving father and son alone and in an awkward silence.

"Shit." Alistair hissed under his breath. Glancing back at a satisfied looking Maric, Alistair released a loud and frustrated sigh. "Fine." He said aloud as he started towards the blazing fire. "Sit over there." Maric nodded as he sat on the ground directly across from Alistair.

"It's a chilly night." Said Maric as he held his hands out to the fire.

"I suppose." Alistair said coldly.

Instead of feeling hurt by his son's cold demeanor, Maric found himself smirking. _So much like his mother_ He thought to himself. "How long have you been a Grey Warden?"

"Almost four years."

"Good for you."

"I am so thrilled to have your approval on the matter." Alistair's cheerful sarcasm did little to dissuade Maric from questioning his son further.

"Where did Duncan recruit you from?"

"The Chantry. I was to be a Templar thanks to Arlessa Isolde believing I was Eamon's bastard instead of yours." Alistair watched Maric for any kind of reaction. The man gave no indication he was disturbed by Alistair's words. "He did little to correct her suspicions. Aside from the studying, I loathed every moment I was captive of the Chantry. Is there anything else you wish to know?" Each word was just as bitter as the last. Maric knew he had struck a nerve.

"Actually I was rather surprised you're sharing anything at all."

"What can I say. I love sharing."

"No. You're trying to make me feel guilty for leaving you with Eamon."

"Hardly." A disgusted scoff came from Alistair before he could stop himself. Despite the denial he knew what Maric said was true.

"Whatever you say." Maric nearly sang knowingly. "I could sit here and tell you the reasons why it needed to be done. I believe it would all be a waste of your time and this old man's breath." He shrugged.

"I've heard them all before." He said while glaring into the fire.

"Of that, I have no doubt." It was time for a slight subject change. "So you met Elissa in Ostagar?" He watched as Alistair features softened.

"Yes. We did."

"So the two of you have been together for nearly four years? That is most impressive."

"W...Well not exactly." Alistair said slowly, shifting uncomfortably where he sat on the ground. "It's not something I wish to discuss with YOU."

Maric knew he would get nothing more on the subject from Alistair. He would simply have to hope the subject came up with Elissa during one of their history lessons. "I suppose it does not matter how the two of you came to be. Obviously you make each other happy, that is all that matters."

"Again, I'm so thrilled to have your approval."

"You should be. I like Elissa a great deal. Any man would be lucky to have her. In fact, if I were several years younger..."

"Not a chance. You'd simply be younger, and still lost at sea." As soon as the words left his mouth Alistair felt incredibility guilty for speaking so rudely.

Maric began chuckling softly, so not to wake anyone in the surrounding tents. Unable to help himself, Alistair smiled; strangely relieved the man took no offense at his words."I'm not sure if that was a slight at my age, sense of direction or taste in women."

"I see nothing wrong with your taste in women. However, being lost at sea for eight years says much about your directional skills."

"There is nothing wrong with my sense of direction. I simply wanted to travel for a while."

"You were lost." Alistair smirked.

Maric sighed dramatically. "Yeah, I was." He said smiling. Sarcasm was far better than the cold shoulder he had been receiving from Alistair over the past couple of days. It was definitely a start. "Thank the Maker my crew had the sense of direction I lacked."

"You had a crew?" Alistair asked.

Maric was surprised by Alistair's sudden interest. Quick to recover, Maric nodded. "Of course I had a crew. Who else is a King supposed to drink with at night, and bark orders at during the day? Well, I guess I'm not the King now, but I was on my ship." He smiled fondly into the fire. As much as he disliked traveling by boat and the water, he missed his faithful crew.

"If you miss them, why did you come back? Sorry, I hardly meant it to sound like that."

"I know. And all of that will be explained in good time. I'd prefer not to repeat that story, thus why I shall wait until we've reached Redcliffe."

"Fair enough." Alistair Said.

"So…care to tell me about the Chantry?"

"Why?"

"Alistair, just because I wasn't there to watch you grow and protect you as I should have doesn't mean I'm not interested in your life. Also, if it makes you feel any better," he glanced down to the ground almost sheepishly," I was just as ignorant of Cailan's childhood."

"No. It doesn't make me feel better, but I'll tell you anyways if only because we have time to kill."

Alistair began telling Maric of his childhood in Redcliffe and the Chantry. Maric hung on Alistair's every word with great interest. Maric knew when to ask questions, and when to sit and listen. He also knew when to offer his sympathy.

Alistair found speaking with Maric was easy. Yet, he did not offer too much information about himself all at once. He had issues and information that he was hardly ready to speak of yet, especially with him. It would be brought up eventually, but only when enough trust was built between the two of them. Until then the man would just have to made due with tidbits of information.

Elissa pulled herself away from the opening of the tent, and wrapped herself tightly in her bedroll. When sleep finally claimed her, she fell asleep with a smug smile on her face. It was a rocky start, but at least it was a start in a direction leading towards some kind of relationship between a father and his son.


	5. So much for surprises

**A/N: A huge thanks to ArtemysFavr for editing and fixing this chapter. It was short and rather messy, she did an exellent job fixing and making sense of this mess. **

**Thanks to all who read, favorite and review this little story. You guys all rock! **

**There isn't a whole lot of explaning I can do for this chapter. It's rather rushed, and to be perfectly honest I lack sleep, thus my writing has gone rather down hill. Once I'm able to get a good nights sleep I'll be able to write and get back into this story. **

**Instead of explaining I'm going to get my little fingers to work on typing out the next chapter. Enjoy. Or maybe I'll get some sleep. Which ever comes first. **

**Denerim- The royal palace throne room**

After a day and night of endless riding the spy arrived at the royal place. Knowing the Queen and her advisers would be awake, and no doubt speaking strategies, he asked the guard just outside of the royal chamber for an audience. After a rather long wait he was granted an audience. Wasting no time of anyone within the room, he started on his report before Anora could even ask.

The news of the royal assassin's unfortunate mission failure and demise was hardly surprising to the Queen and her two most trusted advisers, yet it was still disappointing to hear of a plans failure. Once her spy finished giving them the details of what he had witnessed, Anora dismissed the obviously exhausted man for the night. He thanked the Queen, bowed deeply and briskly walked through the double doors. Leaving the Queen and her two advisers alone to discuss newer and better plans. It was easier said than done.

"This news should not discourage us my Queen," the elder man standing to Anora's left stated .

Tatum had been a lead adviser of King Cailan. Those two had rarely gotten along as Tatum was a realist, and also willing to point out the flaws in a plan. It was this very quality Anora enjoyed about the man. Knowing honesty was hard to come by, Anora found trusting the man came rather easily.

Anora nodded as she let out a quiet sigh, "Send silver pieces to their widows."

Tatum shook his head. "Neither man was married, nor had they any living family that we know of."

Anora nodded shortly. "Shall I send more than two at a time?"

Ser Cauthrien gave Anora a disapproving shake of her head, "I'm afraid that would produce the same results your highness."

She had sought out Anora after the Blight's end, and swore her allegiance to the crown. Anora had had very little contact with the woman but her father had spoken highly of Ser Cauthrien's wisdom, unwavering loyalty and bravery in battle. Making Ser Cauthrien not only part of her personal guard but also her adviser appeared to be the logical decision. How Anora loved her logic.

"I don't suppose either one of you have come up with some brilliant plan?" She asked.

"If it pleases your Majesty, I have an idea." Tatum said cautiously.

Anora glanced upwards at Tatum, "It would."

"Warden Cousland and your son appear to have some attachment to one another. Perhaps there is some way we could use that to our advantage." Tatum spoke and chose his words carefully. Much to his surprise, Anora looked up at him, a thoughtful expression on her delicate features.

"Tis something to consider." Said Anora, sounding cautiously intrigued by the idea.

"That is despicable." Ser Cauthrien sneered and spat before she could stop herself. Not that she really wanted too. "Using a child as if he were some kind of pawn is not something I wish to take part in."

"Control yourself," Anora ordered sternly. Ser Cauthrien bowed in apology for her outburst. "It is merely an option to consider."

"Perhaps we could try a different approach." Ser Cauthrien suggested thoughtfully, clearly desiring to change the direction of the conversation. Both Tatum and Anora cast a curious glanced towards the confident looking adviser. "I suggest we try being more direct."

"Sending armed men after them wasn't direct enough?" Tatum sneered.

"That is not what I am suggesting. The men we would be sending would not be armed with weapons." Ser Cauthrien explained to the older advisor, noting how a sly smile had started to dance across Anora's delicate ruby red lips and a sudden spark lit up the Queen's eyes.

"Fetch me my quill and two sheets of blank parchment." Anora ordered Tatum, who was quick to give her what she desired.

"May I ask what you have in mind, my Queen?" Tatum asked. Anora made no attempt to answer. Instead she wrote furiously, almost excitedly upon the parchment. Once she completed her task filling out each page did she look up at Cauthrien. "Ser Cauthrien - you will go to Redcliffe. Take four guards with you. Present these warrants to Arl Eamon upon your arrival." She handed the sheets to Cauthrien who carefully removed them from the Queen's hand.

"I am elated my suggestion has excited you so, my Queen. May I ask what you are plotting?" Cauthrien asked.

Something resembling a wicked smile played on Anora's lips. "I plot nothing my friend. But if you must know by all means, read them before I seal them." She rose from her chair as Tatum and Cauthrien huddled together; reading each parchment carefully. Both gaped at the contents of the Queen's decree.

"This is rather direct, which is what we wanted. But…what should we be doing about Maric, my Queen?." Tatum asked. Impressed at how the Queen's mind could spin such a plan in so short of a time period. She was truly a remarkable woman, who never ceased to amaze him. Her father would have been proud as well.

"I have had time to reflect on that. I believe it would be best for all involved if no harm came to him for the time being. If he were to meet with an unfortunate accident I believe the people will look no further than myself. That is the last thing I would want from them. I will simply have to let this play out and prove myself in whatever Landsmeet may be called. He may be a beloved war hero, but I believe I have had more time to prove my worth and myself to the people. They love me. Trust me." Anora turned to hide the confident smirk from her advisers. To show them such feelings would be improper.

Making sure her face was void of any emotion, Anora turned back to Ser Cauthrien, who was standing at attention, awaiting further instructions. _Ever the good little soldier, _thought Anora. "Be ready to leave with your men within the hour."

"I shall do as you ask my Queen." Cauthrien said as she handed the sheets to Anora, who then stamped them with her royal seal. While this was what she had had in mind, at least one of the warrants was rather uncalled for, but it was not her place to question the Queen's motives. She bowed deeply and set off to gather her men, intent to leave immediately for Redcliffe Castle.

* * *

**Somewhere nearing Redcliffe Village**

Being only slightly paranoid, Alistair decided to ride a little closer to the main trail. At one point he had sent Nathaniel ahead in order to check on landmarks The rest of the party assumed he sent Nathaniel ahead because their leader kept losing his sense of direction…. and they would have been absolutely correct. Elissa was a little more relentless in her teasing on the matter.

"Wrong way, Warden!" She announced proudly. Alistair groaned and glared, while everyone else laughed.

"At least everyone still has their pants!" Alistair stated heatedly, only barely hiding his amused smirk.

"That can be remedied Alistair." Zevran said and smirked at Alistair's involuntary shudder. "All you would need to do is ask."

"That offer is crude and not in the least bit tempting." Alistair said disgustedly. He managed to block out any other comment Zevran might have made.

"Not to change the subject, but I have a question." Anders yelled so to be heard all the way from the back of the group. Everyone turned in their saddles towards Anders. "I was wondering how we keep the Arl from having a heart attack once he sees this one." He dipped his head towards Maric. No one answered, as no one had given the matter much thought.

Nathaniel was the first to speak, "I doubt we'll need to worry about such a thing happening. The Arl is not as fragile as he appears." Nathaniel said, though he sounded rather uncertain.

"You are all so very dramatic." Maric laughed. "Although I must say everyone's concern over the man's heath is rather heartwarming. Strange, but heartwarming never the less."

"It's something we hadn't thought on before." Alistair countered thoughtfully. "I suppose we could just send you in and see what happens."

This was a conversation Maric was more than happy to sit back and listen to. Listening to the younger people fret over how Eamon would react to seeing him was by far the most interesting conversation he had heard all morning. The thought of sending Eamon of all people to an early grave due to shock was laughable.

It was a conversation that lasted well into mid-afternoon, and by then the party had reached the outskirts of Redcliffe village. Looking from a cliff far above the village Maric couldn't help but look upon the once small village in awe. Last he remembered the village only had a chantry, smithy, a dive of a tavern and a few houses. It still had all of these things, only they had expanded. The large chantry was surrounding by housing, half of which were shops selling everything and anything. In the middle of the town was a stable connected to an inn. Not the best of set-ups, in Maric's opinion, but he doubted it mattered much in this case.

"I'll ride down to the chantry. I think it's important we set up that meeting first." Elissa said and without waiting for a response rode down into the village, while the rest of the party waited near the village entrance.

"Did the blight affect Redcliffe as well?" He asked Alistair, who was looking down at the ground and obviously uncomfortable with the question.

"He wasn't her..." Leilana began but was quickly cut off by Alistair clearing his throat and casting a nasty glare at her. "And by that I mean yes it was affected by the blight." She finished quickly, which Alistair and everyone else considered the worst save in the history of mankind. "A small group of darkspawn destroyed the village and stormed the castle gates. They've had time to rebuilt and restructure since then.

"So I see." Maric said as he glanced at the town below.

Twenty minutes later Elissa returned. She informed them that the revered mother had been rather reluctant to believe her tale, but agreed to meet with Maric that very evening. "I believe she might have been humoring me. If it earns us a meeting, however, I'll take it." She grinned.

A wave of relief washed over Maric, which was quickly replaced by knots forming in his stomach. He was not accustomed to proving to others who he was. Given the close resemblance his own children bore to him, however, it should not be difficult to prove. A mage would then undoubtedly be brought in to verify his identity. It was the process and the waiting that had worked his stomach into a nervous mess.

"I suppose we could show you around the village while we wait." Zevran suggested. Maric shook his head.

"No. I believe I would rather meet with Eamon first. If he doesn't give into his impending heart attack, I would like to start in on calling a Landsmeet. That would be the more time consuming task before us." He grinned widely in order to hide his worry. Wordlessly, Alistair and Elissa lead Maric up to Redcliffe castle, which, thankfully, had not changed since he had last laid eyes on it. By Alistair's order everyone else departed for the village.

Several soldiers stepped forth, taking their horses for them. Each soldier eyed Maric with no small amount of interest. He was familiar, yet they obviously could not place how or why they felt they should know him. Maric smiled briefly at them before running in order to catch up with Alistair and Elissa, who were already near the castle entrance.

They stopped in the entry way leading the way into the main hall. Alistair turned to Maric. "Yes, yes. Wait here while we prevent any premature death due to extreme shock." Maric chuckled.

Amused smiles on their faces, both Alistair and Elissa nodded before briskly walking into the main hall. They found Arl Eamon sitting in his chair, as if he had been waiting for them. He smiled politely as the young Wardens stood before him.

"Alistair. Elissa. It is indeed good to see you both. It is good to see you recovering so quickly, my dear. I must say the castle is rather quite since you've been away." He smiled warmly as he spoke to Elissa.

She laughed nervously. "Yes well. Recovering from crazy is indeed mysterious." She glanced over her shoulder at Maric. With a brow slightly raised, he was eying her curiously. Inwardly she groaned, knowing it was just one more uncomfortable conversation they would have sooner rather than later.

"Might I ask what brings the both of you here?" Arl Eamon asked. Elissa turned her attention back to the Arl, still smiling nervously.

"The thing is; we've brought someone here to see you." Alistair said before Elissa could speak. Only after clearing his throat did he continue, "He comes seeking your aid. Now it might be rather hard to believe at first bu-" He was interrupted by Maric's loud chuckling. Both Alistair and Elissa rolled their eyes.

"Blah, blah, blah. I am a firm believer in dramatic entrances. As you already know, Eamon," Maric said as he walked into view. With narrowed eyes, Arl Eamon followed Maric's movements. Excitement welled up within him, but he was sure not to show it in his outer appearance. "Maker, but you've aged!" Maric gasped as he looked at his old friend and ally.

"As have you Maric. I see you were well fed, out at sea." Bringing attention to Maric's expanding waist line was met with a shrug and nod from the man. "I must say this is quite a shock."

"Thank the Maker you're already sitting." Maric grinned.

"How long have you been in Ferelden old friend?"

"Since this young Warden-Commander's welcoming festival." Maric grinned. Arl Eamon slowly turned his heads towards Alistair and Elissa, a curious brow raised. Both gave the Arl a non-committal shrug and apologetic grin. "I suppose you can venture a guess as to why I'm here."

Rising from his chair, Eamon made his way down the stairs and stopped before Maric. The two men eyed one another for a time. The air was hardly tense, but Elissa was afraid it could become so at any given moment. Eamon took Maric's hand within his own. The two men smiled at one another as they shook hands enthusiastically. Elissa was finally able to release the breath she had been holding, as did Alistair.

"Indeed I do, but you know what needs to happen first." Eamon said releasing Maric's hand. "I cannot just call a Landsmeet without the proof to back up your claim."

He motioned over to Elissa. "This one here already set up a meeting for me."

"Good. You do know Anora won't let you simply just take the throne."

"Oh yes. I know." Maric sighed.

"I shall call for a room to be prepared for each of you." said Eamon as he looked over his shoulder at Alistair.

"There are many of us." Alistair said.

"I assumed as much." Eamon nodded as he smiled dryly. "Why don't the both of you busy yourselves in the village. Maric and I have much catching up to do." Alistair nodded, barely able to hide his smile as he knew it was the Arl's way of telling them to beat it while two old men sit about drinking and reminiscing.

"Just remember Maric. You have a meeting with the Revered mother this evening. It would look bad to show up reeking of ale." Elissa warned before she and Alistair left.

"They were afraid seeing me would surly cause your heart to stop." Maric chuckled as did Eamon.

"It nearly did. Of all the people I expected, _you_ were hardly among them." Eamon smiled at his brother-in-law. "I shall work on calling together a Landsmeet as soon as possible." He clasped Maric's shoulder. "Before that, we have much to discuss." Maric followed as Eamon led him into the dining hall.

"Indeed we do. I would appreciated it if you were to accompany me and everyone else to the meeting tonight. I'm sure they'll want to hear where I've been these last eight years. It's a long tale, and one I prefer everyone to hear at the same time.

"Of course."

They took a seat next to one another in the dining hall. Maric turned his head, eyes narrowed at Eamon. "I'm most curious as to why you shoved Alistair off to the Chantry? That was not a part of our terms."

Eamon cleared his throat nervously. He had not expected the man to take an interest in Alistair's upbringing so soon. "Did he not explain to you the reasons? He is not well aware of them?"

"Elissa told me. I'd like to know the real reason. I'd also like to know why you wanted him on the throne. I assumed his mother and I made it very clear that was not the path we wanted for him." Maric asked heatedly. It was a subject he had planned on saving for a later date. It was a subject which slipped out of his mouth before he could stop himself.

The Arl was not surprised by Maric's question as he knew the subject was bound to come up. The Arl had hoped it would be brought up later rather than sooner. Before answering the question he gestured to a nearby servant to bring them drinks. The two men soon had two goblets set before them, each filled with fine Orleasian brandy. Sipping from the goblet before him before, Eamon soon told Maric everything.


	6. The truth

**A/N: That took a long time didn't it? I've been waiting on my editor who has...well I have no idea where she is. They keep disappearing don't they? Fortunately for me a wonderfully regular reader listened to my call for help and bravely edited this chapter for me. That reader does not wish to be named and I shall respect that reader's wish. But just know the reader did a wonderful (one time job, as I am awaiting the return of my regular editor. Since it's the holidays I'm not frantic with worry yet, but getting close), job and I truly apprecaite the work you put in to making this chapter readable. **

**Now she may not have edited this, but ArtemysFayr did help me come up with the "real" reason Eamon sent Alistair away. For that I credit her as a co-author for this chapter. Her idea's made this chapter a breeze to write. Thank you so much for being the actual brains behind this chapter. **

**The next chapter is the big "where the bloody hell has Maric been" chapter. For this I would like some reader input. Is there any place you see Maric? stranded? Should he have joined a group of bandits? Pirates? Or simply running away from his duties? I want to hear YOUR idea's. So feel free to pm me with them! BOMBARD ME WITH IDEA'S PEOPLE! **

**Thanks to everyone who takes the time to read, review, and favorite this story. You all completely and utterly rock!**

* * *

Eamon calmly lifted his gaze from the goblet and looked directly into Maric's hardened gaze. The outwardly calm Arl spoke with a confidence he did not feel. "I make no apologies in the manner of which Alistair was raised." Eamon's calm demeanor never wavered. Not even when Maric's eyes narrowed and his lips pressed together forming a thin, angry line. "Given the situation at the time, I had very little options available to me."

Maric's brow arched slightly as he began tapping his fingers against the table, a habit Maric knew Eamon had always found unbelievably annoying. "What was he like? As a babe I mean?" Maric asked, as his impulsive nature overtook him once again.

The corners of Eamon's mouth drew upwards slightly smirk."He was merciless with his screaming. It would last for hours or until he would finally fall asleep from sheer exhaustion." Maric smiled and chuckled, while Eamon shuddered at the memory of the endless headaches he and Isolde suffered during those early years of caring for Alistair. "None of us could figure out what would trigger these outbursts, but once he started" Eamon rolled his eyes. "There was no stopping him. Now that I think back on it I believe he might have done it on purpose. If only to see us run about like chickens with our heads cut off."

"Maker's breath, but that does sounds horrible." Maric laughed, not sounding the least bit sorry for Eamon's past headaches.

"It was something he outgrew by the time he could walk and form actual words. In case you're wondering, his first word was 'puppy'."

Maric's good humor quickly faded as a frown began to take shape. "Let us move on." He said curtly, unable to understand why he was suddenly so angry. There would be time for such inner debates later.

"Of course." Eamon said before bringing the goblet to his lips once again. After a short sip, he swished the harsh liquid around his tongue before swallowing. "As a young boy he was curious about everything and anything. He enjoyed learning and would absorb whatever bit of knowledge anyone would take the time to offer him." Yet another smirk formed on Eamon's lips. "He did enjoy causing a bit of havoc now and again. Scaring the chickens, playing in mud then purposely tracking dirt throughout the entire castle."

"As proud of the lad as I am, I'd much rather hear of the events leading up to my son's exile into the chantry." Maric said.

"It was hardly an exile Maric. It was for his own protection." Eamon stern voice boomed throughout the dining hall, gathering the attention of passing servants. Maric was unmoved.

"Hit on a nerve, did I?" Maric's bitter smile sent a chill down Eamon's spine.

Clearing his throat loudly, Eamon ignored Maric's snide comment and continued. "No one questioned why I brought a babe into the castle." Back then, both Eamon and Isolde were positive they could not have children. They both saw Alistair as a boy they could finally call their own. "No one noble or peasant questioned the boy's lineage. Unfortunately, the moment he began to grow into his body, it was becoming easier to distinguish who his father was. The facial similarities were subtle, but were noticeable the older he became."

"The resemblance is something we Theirin men share. I can remember my mother telling me how closely I looked like my father. To this day I'm not sure if she meant it as a compliment or insult. He was doomed to my looks from birth. Poor boy." Maric said only half joking.

"My wife greatly enjoyed caring for Alistair as a babe. It was easy for her to forget he was not her own." Eamon shifted uncomfortably in his seat. " At the time we were under the impression we could not bear children."

Eamon's features darkened as he spoke. "Once he began walking and talking, her attitude towards the boy changed immensely. Alistair's close resemblance to you became a constant reminder of an heir we believed we couldn't have. Even I will admit it was cruel of her to withdraw from him as she did. As a babe Alistair grew rather attached to Isolde. He wanted nothing but her approval and love." Eamon said before taking yet another drink from the goblet before him before speaking.

Being ever so quick on the uptake Maric began piecing together the rest of the tale in his head. Instead of voicing his speculations aloud as he typically would, he began beating his fingertips faster against the wood table, eyes narrowed as Eamon sipped from his goblet. "Eamon." Maric growled knowing full well the Arl was stalling. "Am I to forcefully remove that damned goblet of yours in order to hear a complete explanation?" Maric asked politely.

With his narrowed eyes trained on Maric's sarcastic smile, Eamon carefully set the goblet on the table. With the snap of his fingers a servant immediately took each man's goblet; whisking them away. "I knew why my wife withdrew herself from Alistair as a child. She worried for our possible children, what having a King's bastard within these walls might mean for them and herself."

Maric's brow arched. "And that would be what exactly? The throne? Did she believe he would grow to love Redcliffe and snatch it away from her? " Maric chuckled bitterly. "Did you not speak of our arrangement?" He asked, referring to the previous arrangement they both had with Fiona to keep Alistair at a great distance from politics and from the life he was accustomed to, which yet remained a thorn in his side.

Eamon nodded shortly. "Of course I did, but it mattered not. She was convinced having him within our walls was a threat to our safety. However, this is only part of the reason I sent the boy away." Eamon sighed. "If the boy remembers the attack, he hides it very well." At this Maric perked. "He was in the village playing by himself in the mud as he usually did. According to eye witnesses several men approached him, knives drawn and made an attempt on making their knives useful."

"Obviously they were not successful." Said Maric.

"Obviously. My brother was fast enough to thwart any attack from actually taking place, while several villagers detained the men until the guard arrived. The whole event could have been avoided had I kept my promise to watch the boy, to keep him safe. It was obvious I could no longer do either."

"Did you ever figure out who hired the men? Or were their actions their own?" Maric urged worriedly.

"I had my suspicions, but never could prove anything due to lack of evidence."

Again Maric's brow arched. "I very much doubt that you lacked the evidence my friend," Maric said. "It was Isolde who hired those men, wasn't it?" Maric asked softly. Eamon said nothing, which was all the conformation Maric needed. As much as Maric wanted to rant and rave at Eamon, he found he couldn't. In a strange and morbid way he found he could understand why Isolde had done such a thing. Anyone raised within a noble family knew bastards could be just as much of a threat than that of a direct line. In all honesty he was surprised it was Isolde who had been the first to do so and not Loghain or Anora. She was merely doing what came naturally. Protecting her and Eamon's own future line did not justify the horrid act itself, but Maric could understand why she had done such a thing.

"As I said before Maric, I had very little options opened to me. It was far too dangerous to keep him under this roof. It was either the Chantry, or watch him become a damned Denerim street rat. Two days after the attack and three days before his eleventh birthday; I took him to the Chantry of our Lady Redeemer, in Amaranthine. I felt it was far enough away to keep him out of any danger." Eamon sighed. "I can't begin to convey to you how angry he was with me. He was positive I was abandoning him."

Maric did not bother pointing out he practically had abandoned the lad. It was a wonder to Maric how his son remained an optimist after being passed around as he had. Hearing Eamon speaking snapped Maric out of his own mind and back to the conversation at hand.

"If there is one thing I truly do regret, it would be lying to the boy about why I placed him where I did. I...I felt the needed to tell him something... to make him hate the situation and those around him a little less. I told him he was not there as a punishment for anything he had done. I told him Isolde was convinced he was my child, she had threatened to leave me if I did not place him somewhere. "

"Oh. I'm sure that helped tremendously in making him feel soooo much better about being left in the care of the chantry zealots." Maric said as he rolled his eyes.

"He threw Fiona's amulet against the brick wall before he went inside." Eamon said sorrowfully. "It shattered into a thousand pieces. As I stood there staring down at this shattered link to who he really was, something inside me compelled me to gather all the pieces before I left. He was angry with me now, but that didn't mean he would always be angry with me. I felt I owed it to the lad to fix the one position that was truly his."

"I had left the task of fixing it up to my best smithy. It did not take long to fix. I suppose I had done so hoping I could redeem myself in the lad's eyes. I thought about giving it back to him during one of my many visits. But every time I came for a visit he was distant...cold."

"What did you expect the boy to do? Jump for joy every time you can strolling in; flaunting your freedom in front of him?" Maric chuckled sardonically. Eamon glared at his laughing friend. "Oh don't give me that look Eamon. I may not have witnessed his days within the Chantry, but you know as well as I as to how they...condition Templars. I'm sure seeing you walk out the door without him left him bitter - I can't say I blame him. "

"Anyway," Eamon's voice boomed throughout the dining hall, "after my fifth visit I knew it was pointless to continue visiting him. Bitterness was coursing through every fiber of his being. When I arrived back in Redcliffe I did the only thing to do; I wrote Duncan. Since he was set in Denerim at the time I knew it would be easier for him to keep an eye on Alistair's progress within the Chantry. We both agreed he should be conscripted before he took his final vows "

"That answers my question about his being a Grey Warden." Maric mumbled under his breath.

Eamon leaned back in his chair, feeling as if a weight had been lifted. "He eventually forgave me. He changed once she came along. And there you have it." There was a certain amount of underlined bitterness in Eamon's mention of "she". Maric knew he meant Elissa, but did not pursue the subject. He had enough seething to do, without the added story of Eamon's dislike of Warden Cousland in the mix.

Maric rose from his chair. Looking down at a worried Eamon, he forced a smile. "Thank you Eamon for telling me the truth. It must have been...difficult for you." Maric allowed a hint of the venom he felt to slip into his words. "I have several hours to waste before I need to be down in the village. I was hoping to making a slight detour towards the kitchen." Maric smiled hopefully.

Chuckling Eamon pushed himself up from his chair. "Of course. The castle has changed since you were last here." Eamon said. Inwardly he was surprised Maric had not yelled; reprimanded him in some way. Not that it would have accomplished anything, other than making himself feel better, which is why Eamon had expected such an outburst.

Maric waved a dismissive hand as Eamon rose. "No. I'll go by myself." He turned on his heels towards Maker only knew where, leaving Eamon alone with his uneasy thoughts.

* * *

**The Village**

As Alistair looked through the many styles of armor displayed within the armory, he glanced out of the corner of his eye at Elissa. It was obvious she had something on her mind. What made this obvious was the way she was constantly tripping over her own feet the entire walk from the Castle into the Village. Had he not been within arm's reach, he was sure she would have broken her neck.

"You've been distracted since we left the Castle. Something is troubling you." Alistair stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "I'd like to know why."

It took a moment for his words to reach Elissa's ears, and register within her brain before she looked up at him. "Of all the reactions I expected, that was not among them."

Ah. So that was it. He felt he should have at least guessed that was the problem at hand. "You expected the man to have a heart attack." He stated dully.

"True. And it didn't happen, which is lucky I suppose." Elissa said with a shrug of her shoulders. Alistair motioned towards the door with his hand. Catching the meaning, Elissa lead the way out of the armory so as not to be heard by any nearby gossiping villagers.

They started up the large hill, which would take them to Bella's tavern. As the road was deserted, it was a safe place to speak freely.

Excitedly, Elissa spoke. "It's not as if one of his long lost dogs has finally returned home after years of being lost. This is his former bother-in-law, the father of his nephew, the King of all of Ferelden. Hell, they shed blood together." Alistair ducked just before one of her excited, flailing arms could hit his face. "It's not every day a once-believed dead King makes an appearance in one's castle."

"I think you're making too big of a deal out of this." Alistair said. "You know just as well as I that Eamon has never been a man who outwardly expresses his emotions before others. "

"True. His humanity would have been exposed, and scandal would have surely followed in its wake. Maker knows we can't have commoners and nobles alike believing Eamon to be capable of human emotions." She said as she looked up at Alistair as he sighed, shook his head and rolled his eyes upwards.

"Stop fussing over something you have no control over." He sighed.

"Okay." Elissa chirped cheerfully followed by a dismissive shrug of her shoulders. "I will think on it no longer."

Not believing her words nor her innocent smiles for a moment, Alistair's eyed her suspiciously, a smirk playing on the corner of his lips as he spoke. "You're humoring me." He stated.

"Pretty much."

"Fine," he breathed a heavy sigh. "Just don't think and walk at the same time. It appears to give you a bit of trouble," said Alistair as he held the tavern door open for Elissa, allowing her to enter first, if only for the safety of his delicate shins.

In passing, her hand caressed his. She briefly looked up at him, smiling warmly. "Thank you for keeping me from falling flat on my face earlier," she said.

Alistair returned her warm smile with one of his own. "I have some urgent business with Owen. It will most likely take all day, so I'll meet you and everyone else at the Chantry," he said. Elissa eyed him curiously, but she did not question him. They kissed each other on the lips before parting each other's company.

Elissa heard Anders before she saw the large group huddled in the corner of the tavern. He was speaking of his many escape attempts. Before joining the group, Elissa asked Bella to bring her some tea, which was of course on hand. Slipping in between Zara and Nathaniel, She was half listening to Anders speak of one of his many escape attempts and she could not help but wonder what business Alistair could possibly have with the village smithy.

* * *

**The Chantry**

Alistair stood outside the chantry waiting for the others to arrive. The group entered; making their way into the small worshiping area where a calm and collected Maric waited. Next to him was an equally calm Eamon. In front of them stood Mother Hannah. As always the revered mother of Redcliffe was polite and smiled at each who entered.

"Good. You are all here," said Mother Hannah as she turned to Elissa and smiled. "Please step forward my dear." Elissa did as she was told. Mother Hannah's attention next fell upon Maric. "You step forward as well." Maric was fast to comply and stood next to Elissa.

Elissa watched as Mother Hannah walked and stood before Maric. Her passive expression never wavering. "Is this indeed him?" She asked Elissa as she continued to look at Maric. Elissa could not tell if she was sizing the man up, or if she was trying to think back on stories of the man and his once handsome features. Either way it mattered not.

Elissa nodded. "I swear to you before the Maker himself that he is indeed King Maric Theirin. But I suppose Magic will help determine that," Elissa said.

"We shall come to that soon enough." Mother Hannah said. "I have sent word to the Circle Tower. Hopefully they can spare at least one Mage and Templar for a day or two." She said as she slowly turned from Maric. She walked a small distance away to her chair, lowering sore and tired frame into the rather uncomfortable looking piece of furniture.

"Thank you for agreeing to see me - Mother Hannah, was it?" Maric asked, charm oozing with each word said.

Unmoved, Mother Hannah nodded. "Do not thank me yet, stranger. Changing someone's status from dead to living is a process in itself. I will need to wait for a Mage to be present in order to ask you any questions about yourself. The Mage will be able to cast a spell and determine if what you speak is the truth, or merely lies."

"I had assumed as much." Maric said, bowing his head slightly acknowledging he indeed understood. "If you don't mind my asking, why did you want to meet with me before you had the service of a mage?"

"I was wondering that myself," Eamon mused, as was everyone else.

At this Mother Hannah smirked. "Curiosity." She said. "In all my years, I had assumed I had nearly seen and heard everything. Never have I heard anyone claiming to be 'Maric the savior'," she said still smirking, eyes gliding over the man before her, obviously sizing him up.

"Might I assume you have questions of your own."

"Only one."

"If I'm truly who I claim to be, where in Ferelden have I been and why return after eight years much less at all." Maric said before Mother Hannah could ask. She slowly nodded. "I get that a lot. But shouldn't we wait for the Mage to arrive so you know I'm speaking the truth?"

"No. Although, It would make my fellow sister's job much easier." She gestured towards a young woman sitting in a chair several feet away from the group. She was busy writing furiously upon the parchment before her. "If it turns out you are indeed who you claim to be. I will know what tale you have to offer is the truth."

"If I'm not I lose my head," Maric offered. Mother Hannah said nothing as she felt pointing out the correctness of his statement to be pointless. Maric cleared his throat, which suddenly felt dry and tighter. He knew this would come up eventually, and as much as the Revered Mother played down the importance of his story, he knew otherwise. It would come into her decision-making once that stage was reached. He sighed and nodded.

"Oh goody!" Elissa nearly squeaked with excitement. Maric chuckled but said nothing.

"May I trouble you for a glass of water before I start? 'Tis a rather long story." Maric asked. Mother Hannah of course nodded, gesturing to a nearby sister to fetch their guest some water. She returned moments later glass in hand. Maric smiled and nodded before sipping from the glass. As he assumed, the water did nothing to help his dry throat.

"How long could it take to tell a lost-at-sea story?" Alistair muttered.

"I was not lost!" Maric's loud voice boomed throughout the quiet Chantry. Everyone jumped at the sudden noise. "Why does everyone assume my sense of direction is awful?"

"Because it's been documented in countless stories," said Elissa.

"My dear, did it never once cross your mind that these stories are just that? Stories, tall tales, utter and complete shit?" Maric muttered bitterly. He was by not fond of scholars. It was rare to come across one whose mind was not clouded by grand tales, rather than writing of the truth. "I was not lost. I was-detained," he said smirking. "It all started with an unnecessary diplomatic journey starting with Seheron. After we finished peace talks there, we were to come straight back to Ferelden." Maric paused if only to chuckle. "When does anything ever go as planned?" He said with a smirk.


	7. Maric's story Part 1

**Here is it. My version of "where the hell Maric has been all these years" A Massively huge thanks goes out to _alyssacousland _For not only taking the time out out of her own busy writing schedule (If you have not read any of this amazing author's fic do so now!) to correct story, but also for taking the time to share ideas and help me improve this epic chapter. Thank you so much. **

**I know this is a short part one. Had I kept it all as one long chapter it would have been MASSIVE! **

**Just FYI the dragon I am describing would be an Asian Lung. As it was the only water dragon I could think of while writing this. Well that and they look really freaking cool. **

**Thank you to everyone who reads, reviews and favorites this little fic of mine. You all rock. **

**Part 2 is coming soon...hopefully...once I finish writing it all out.**

* * *

"As strange as it may sound, traveling to Seheron to speak with the Qunari was a welcomed change. After years of traveling for the sake of war and preventing the complete destruction of Ferelden, it was nice to finally take a journey outside of Ferelden that involved peace. I will admit a bit of scheming was involved in my decision to take travel at that particular time. I was shall we say...out of sorts." He said shifting uncomfortably where he stood as the real meaning behind his words dawned on all in the room.

Depression had hit him hard. It felt as if he was dealt one ego crushing blow after the next. Having already felt he was a failure as a father to Cailan in every way possible, he lived with the decision they had made in regards to Alistair in order to keep him a secret from those who would do him harm. On top of all of these worries and even though he had not loved his Queen, Rowan's death left him feeling empty, hurt and angry with himself for a number of reasons. Most having to do with his lack of feelings for her and not taking the time to know her better.

Shaking his head clear of age old thoughts, Maric continued, "My advisers were greatly against my going on this mission, as they were against my going on any mission that would lead me out of Ferelden and away from their watchful eyes. They felt I should send one of them in my place. As if I was going to let some old man have all the fun! I left as soon as a vessel was ready to depart."

"As it turns out water and I don't exactly agree with one another. The captain of the ship ordered me to my chambers for the duration of the trip, which left his men to perform their duties instead of cleaning up after my deck messes." There were snickers from everyone in the room. Elissa being the loudest of them all.

"I can scarce believe the great and brave Maric succumbs to the splashing of water against a boat." She said through her chuckles.

The corners of Maric's lips tugged upwards slightly. "Everyone has a weakness. Mine just happens to be sailing...and riding a horse." Maric held up his hand as Elissa opened her mouth to speak. Just as quickly she snapped her lips together.

"Once we docked our ship in Seheron it was straight to business: Going over treaties, assuring the dominate tribe they would have the support of Ferelden for many years to come. I shall skip all of this since it is by no means interesting to anyone."

"We set sail again three days after our arrival into Seheron. We were on course for Ferelden when I realized how much I did not wish to return. The thought of listening to Loghain's endless reports on Orlesian activities. Nobles squabbling over what is rightfully theirs. No. I wanted a new and exciting adventure." Maric said chuckling and shaking his head. "So I bribed the captain and asked him to keep us out on the water a few days longer than planned. The captain thought I had lost my ever loving mind, but was more than happy to take my gold."

Maric closed his eyes and sighed. _No use cursing past stupidity. Live and learn from the mistakes you've mad_e. "I had no idea there were any serious threats out at sea other the weather. I never thought to think man could be just as dangerous as any rain storm."

"During our three day of aimless traveling, the first mate noticed a ship following. No one paid the other ship any mind as we all assumed it was a merchant's ship. Of course, we were wrong. It was a bandit's ship,. They caught up to our ship in a matter of hours. There were so many of them; each of them well armed. We had nothing to defend ourselves and they knew this."

"Some men tried to fight back. They were slaughtered and dumped overboard. They took nearly everything from the ship. To this day I'm still surprised they did not dump the lot of us overboard and take the ship as well."

"As they loaded their boat it occurred to me that not one of them knew who I was. Had they known I'm sure I would have been forced on that ship as well and held for ransom. But not one of them knew they were robbing a King. I saw an opportunity."

A collective surprise gasp filled the room.

"You didn't?" Alistair groaned in disbelief. Although he was not sure why he was surprised at the man's actions.

"I was young and looking for an escape away from a life that was quickly making me a unbelievably bitter man. Before they could leave I asked them if they had room for one more. I was quick to mention my handiness with a sword and my keen map reading ability. I was surprised when they accepted me."

Opening his mouth to continue his explanation, he found himself being interrupted by Eamon, who did nothing to hide his disgust.

"In order to escape your responsibilities as King to your people and father to your son, you decided to go off and play pirate for eight years?" He said between clenched teeth. "Do you know how utterly selfish and irresponsible that sounds?"

Maric chuckled softly at Eamon's obvious frustration. "As someone who has obviously achieved human perfection. Eamon, I know you yourself have never made any kind of rash and selfish decision. But alas my friend the rest of us humans are not so fortunate as to sharing in your unique gift." Eamon eyes narrowed at Maric. " However; I do agree with you. It was an incredibly irresponsible thing to do." Maric smirked. "Yet, if I had to do it all over again, I would do nothing differently."

"Have you been a bandit these eight years?" Eamon asked in disgust.

"I will answer that question this very moment, but only if you will you stop interrupting me with pointless questions."

Out of the corner of his eye Maric watched Alistair for any sign of a reaction. Expecting disappointment, he was surprised when the lad merely sighed, shook his head and rolled his eyes. There was a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. This might have been because Elissa was attempting to hide her own amused smile.

Eamon continued to glare. Maric took his silence as a sign that the story could finally continue. "Before you all judge me as Eamon has, know that my sword skills were never put to any kind of use. I'm not even sure I was ever really one of them." He said thoughtfully. " Instead, I had been given the lowest of jobs. I was the Deck Swab. I..." Elissa's yowling laughter cut off his next words. His brow arched as he waited for her laughter to subside, which did not take long.

"Sorry." She wheezed. "Don't mind me swab King." Elissa said.

"I know it isn't wondrous by any stretch of the imagination. I had hoped they would used me for map readings. Unfortunately, they had thrown the last swabbie over board because of his constant objections. I thought it best I not complain. The first several weeks the only messes I was cleaning were my own. Thankfully that soon passed. As odd as it sounds, I eventually started to like my new job. It was tedious, but I was able to observe the crew without being noticed. I found them all so...intriguing. They fought with fists and harsh words, yet they trusted one another if not cared for each other. It's a dynamic I did not expect among thieves.

"They robbed countless amounts of ships. They killed only when the target fought back. To them theirs was of life was survival of the fittest sailor. I remained with the crew for two years as a silent observer and cleaner of every type of mess you could possibly imagine. There came a day where I was suddenly not so very invisible anymore.

"I did not mean to make my situation out to be quite so ominous. It was a map, or more the leader and crew's inability to make it out. Curiously got the better of me and I inched into the captain's quarters in order to gather a better look. It was a rather detailed directional map which lead to a land slightly outside of Thedas. I informed the leader, who eventually remembered who I was and my ability to read maps. Although, I'm not sure I'd call it an ability.

"A land outside of Thedas peaked the curiosity of all. Once I figured out we were somewhere the Anderfels coast line, we set off to see where this map would lead us"

"The boat was at sea for two years and the Anderfels was the furthest the boat traveled?" Leliana asked

Maric shrugged. "There are many merchant boats traveling between the countries. Not to mention the many noble families traveling during the summer months. Both are easy prey for any experienced thief." He said followed by a wink.

"Fair enough." Leliana chuckled.

"What made this particular map so difficult to read? I should think they would be able to read a simple directional map?" Elissa asked.

"Strategists read maps and plans. These men were poorly educated. Instead of reading maps they remained close to coastlines, traveling about aimlessly, awaiting for signs of any other vessel."

"I've still never head of a ship's captain who can't read a map." Elissa mused thoughtfully.

"Me either." Maric nodded in agreement. "I was, of course, put in charge of rambling off coordinates to the navigator. A task which was not easy, as their navigator knew coastlines, and not any actual coordinates . Unfortunately, this new duty did not cut in to my ship cleaning duties. I would yell off directions and which way the wheel should be turned while cleaning up the mess from the night before."

"Were you not the least bit homesick?" Nathaniel asked.

"I missed my home a great deal. Now ask me if I missed holding court and Landsmeets." At this both Nathaniel and Elissa snickered. Both knew what a pain in the arse holding court truly was. "I missed my son and my friends more than I missed Ferelden itself. Yet, I knew they were getting along fine without me. I was sure Cailan would be a far better ruler than I." A pang of sadness stabbed Maric as he thought back on the stories he had heard from Elissa about Cailan's days of ruling. It was unfortunate how history sometimes repeated itself. Burring his sadness was all he could do now, as nothing could change the past.

"It took us four days to navigate ourselves out of Thedas. Unfortunately, our journey from there was very short lived. None of us were aware of the existence of Dragons which live in the sea itself." Perplexed glances were exchanged before directing their mass confusion at Maric. " I know how odd that sounds, but I swear to the Maker it is true. I've seen many frightening things in my time, but this...this thing is among the most terrifying,"

"Its head was huge, red, with fierce black eyes. The snout was long and had a tentacle like thingy coming out the side of each nostril A long beard grew just beneath its jaw and ran clear up to the set of horns in the middle of its head. The teeth." Maric shuddered. "Oh Maker. The endless rows of teeth that beast had is truly a thing of nightmares. Its body was scaled just as dragons usually are. There were no wings that I could see. Then again the only its head and long tail were visible, so I might be wrong about that. It doesn't much matter what the body itself looked like, as the head was frightening enough."

"No one knew what to do. Some jumped overboard out of fear, while others grabbed whatever they could and threw them at the beast. Wish we had thought to pick up arrows or a mage at one of our few port stops, they would have been far more helpful, not to mention far more accurate in aim." Maric spat bitterly.

"We only managed to anger it instead of harming the beast. The fight (if you can call it a fight) did not last long. With one swing of its tail it brought our ship crashing down around us. The few of us who remained jumped into the water before the falling pieces of ship could kill us.

"I was barely keeping myself afloat. Thankfully, I was lucky enough to find a large piece of wood before I could drown. I could hear the screams coming from all directions. When I looked back towards the wreckage I saw the beast swallowing screaming men whole. As much as I wanted to save them I knew I would meet with the same fate." Once again he shuddered.

"While the beast was distracted with the men in the water, I found several thin pieces of wood to be used as oars. Slowly and carefully, I made my escape into waters I did not know, and with no map to guide me."


	8. Maric's story Part 2

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**Well this chapter from the deepest depths of hell isn't as massive as I thought it would be. Not sure if that thrills me or not. **

**A big, huge, ginormous thank you to my all around awesome editor and friend_ alyssacousland. _She is the one who makes this fic readable. **

**Also I would like to thank _Warrose _For suggesting turnips. I may not have added a witch, but I never wold have thought to have him planting turnips. The idea itself made me giggle. Also thanks to _Jinx1983_ who always reviews and was so awesome enough to start a discussion about my fics. YAY! STILL GIDDY! **

**Of course a huge thank you to those who take the time to read, review and favorite this story.**

* * *

"I was thankful to be alive. But without food or clean water, I had no idea how much longer I would last. Nor did I know how many days my make-shift boat had before water log would set in. I was honestly surprised the blasted thing held together as long as it did. Three days that wood held. I was fortunate enough to not have met with any problems in those three days, and lucky to have found land."

"During those three days I was sure I would lose my mind. I lacked sleep, food and clean water. When I happened to spot the shore, I assumed it was a mixture of wishful thinking and my mind playing evil little tricks. It wasn't. Once I realized it was no trick of the mind I paddled as hard and fast as I could. The moment I made landfall I fell to my knees and kissed the ground." He said followed by a chuckle and the shaking of his head.

"As happy as I was to see land I still needed food and water. While I could build a fire, the only purpose it would serve was warmth. I lacked cookware of any kind; leaving me quite unable to cook down any water or food. I was far too exhausted from my ordeal. Before I could venture into the woods I passed out."

"I have no idea how long I was out for. When I finally awoke, I was not where I had originally been upon my arrival. As far as I could tell I was in someone's home, my feet and hands were bound, and my captor was an angry-looking female elf, an equally angry-looking male elf and both were armed with spears. They spoke in Dalish. I could pick up on a few words they said, otherwise I was completely clueless as to what they were saying. I attempted to tell them this, but they of course, could not understand what I was saying." At this Zara's interest perked. She had never heard of any Dalish tribes living outside of Thedas. A tribe that did not speak at least some Shemlen language was nearly unheard of in this day and age.

Taking notice of the elven Warden's sudden interest in the story, Maric looked directly at her as he spoke. "They were covered from head to toe in tattoos. They wore armor made from local metals and plant life. And they had at least forty other human s, whom I assumed arrived in much the same fashion that I. By complete accident. I had escaped the beast, but my luck had run out and I knew it."

He forced his gaze away from Zara so not to give her the wrong impression that he hated elves. His eyes focused on the wall behind her. "They fed me enough so I got my strength back, gave me fresh water, tended to my bruises. As soon as I was well enough, they put me to work in the fields with the other humans planting turnips. When we had one empty field planted we were to clear away trees in order to make room for more fields. One would think it might be easy to escape from a field. Unfortunately for us they stationed warriors and mages around the perimeter watching over us at all times. It was enough to keep us in line."

"They kept us in huts during the night. Gave us left over vegetables and water. In order to keep us from escaping, they brought in their own mages to place protective wards over all windows and doors. I saw one man try to escape one night. His bones bent in ways they were never intended to bend. After witnessing that none of us dared attempt an escape."

"Wait, wait." Zara's said. "Elves don't keep slaves. If anything it's the other way around."

Maric shook his head. "These elves have never been outside of their own country."

Zara's eyes lit up. "How long were you with them? Do you remember them holding any rituals? Rites? Anything?" She asked excitedly. While he could understand her excitement, he could not help but feel slightly insulted by her enthusiasm. He knew she meant no harm. He decided to keep his hurt feelings to himself.

"I was with them for eight years. There were some quiet nights where I could hear chanting, but I can't be sure. We weren't allowed to be out much."

"Oh." She said sounding only somewhat disappointed.

"Pray tell Ser, how did you manage to escape these heathens." Mother Hannah asked, while completely ignoring the glares she received from Zara.

As much as he disliked his captors for making the last six years of his nights a repetitive nightmare, Maric found himself resisting the urge to argue with Mother Hannah if only because he knew it would be pointless to do so. The chantry had made up her mind for her and there was no changing that.

Giving Zara an apologetic glance, he soon turned his attention to mother Hannah. "I am aware this next bit is going to make me sound unbelievably crazy. I assure all that I am not. Now please do not ask me why she close to speak with me on this particular night. I do not have an answer, nor do I believe I will ever possess one. " He exhaled before speaking.

"A month ago, as I lay in bed, thinking of some way to cause a big enough distraction for an escape, I heard a...a voice of a woman in my head." He closed his eyes in order to keep himself from looking at those around him. "She told me I was urgently needed in Ferelden now more than ever. She promised me that she would help me escape, but it would need to be done quickly."

"I knew I could trust her so I agreed. She told me the wards surrounding the doors and the hut itself would be down long enough for me to escape without notice. I did as she instructed. The wards were indeed no longer active, which made escape easy. The problem I was face with now was getting back to Ferelden. Of course, she had taken care of that problem as well." Maric smirked fondly.

"She told me of a boating dock nearby. There was a small fishing boat tied to a post. It was already supplied with food and water as the elves went fishing for weeks at a time. I was to take it and set sail immediately. It was as she said, I took the boat and set sail. Before she disappeared from my mind all together she gave me directions on how to get back here. Due to the type of boat and only me steering, it took several weeks to get myself here. But here I am."

"You speak of the voice like you knew who it was." Alistair stated.

Maric smiled and chuckled. "I did. Now I owe her another favor. That is something I am none too excited about."

"Who?" Alistair asked in a demanding tone.

"Flemeth." The shock faces around the room did not surprise Maric in the slightest. What was shocking was Elissa's lack of shock.

"I thought she was dead." Alistair said turning to Elissa. "You killed her, didn't you?"

"Her body." She sighed. "Not her essence. She is still very much alive, and biding her time until she can find a suitable host. Most likely to be Morrigan."

"Why didn't you tell me of this before?" He whispered back heatedly.

She looked up at him scowling. "I've had other issues to take care of. I guess it just slipped my mind." She hissed back. "I'll tell you all about it tonight." She said. Alistair nodded in silent response.

"I came in through the Denerim docks." Maric said. "That would be it. I believe most of you know the rest."

"What an amazing story." Leliana gaped at Maric, who shrugged in return.

"Well...that is much to take in. We will discuss more when the Tower Mage arrives." Sister Hannah said thoughtfully. "For now I believe sleep is needed by all. Maybe the Maker be with you and watch over you all." She said. They mumbled words of thanks before leaving.

It was nighttime. The town all but asleep. So not to disturb anyone who may be sleeping, they spoke in hushed whispers as they trudged up the hill towards the castle.

"My dear hairless Warden." Maric whispered as he lay a hand on Elissa's shoulder. She and Alistair turned towards the grinning man behind them.

"Yes royal swab?" She asked with a grin of her own.

"Cute." He said while rolling his eyes. "I was wondering if you might like to talk a walk down to the lake with me?" He asked. Elissa looked up at Alistair who shrugged.

"Alright."

"You are more than welcome to join us." Maric told Alistair.

"Thank you for the offer, but I'll pass." Alistair said politely. He fully intended on following them, as his curious mind wondered what more these two could have to speak about. He turned to Elissa, planting a kiss on her cheek. "Meet me in the kitchen when you return," he said.

"Of course." She said cheerfully before watching Alistair walk off towards the hill. Maric held out his arm. She linked her arm through his, allowing him to lead her towards the docks. They stopped near the end of a dock and stood for a time, simply watching the water sway and ripple against the light gust of wind. Neither heard Alistair following from a safe distance. Hiding himself between two houses, he was sure he was close enough to hear what was being since once they began speaking.

"I still owe you a bit of a story on Fiona do I not?" He said as he kept his eyes on the water.

"Indeed you do, but that can wait for another time."

Maric shook his head. "No. A deal is a deal." He said. Elissa did not protest any further.

He told her of their journey into the Deep roads, of his affair with Fiona and how she no longer lived with the taint. By the time he was done, Alistair was livid, while Elissa was smiling sadly.

"So. She no longer had the taint when she had Alistair?" She asked, unable to keep the sadness from her voice. It was a reaction that confused Maric greatly.

"He was born taintless."

_Well shit_. Thought Elissa. _How was I ever able to have Bryce? Perhaps it really was Avernus's doing_

"Might I ask why you are so curious about Fiona?" Maric asked.

Smiling up at him, Elissa merely shrugged. "I'm nosy. I love talking about things Alistair has no interest in hearing." She winked.

"Now, would you mind explaining what Eamon meant earlier by your "recovering nicely" thing?"

Elissa chuckled, breathed deeply and told him everything...well...almost everything.


	9. Let's be honest here

**A/N: Holy cow. That last chapter turned my brain into a gootastic mess. Only making this chapter even more difficult. This is a chapter I've been avoiding like the damn plague. Not only because it's a little more dramatic than usual, but also because I am NOT good with overly emotional sceens. AT ALL! THANKFULLY _alyssacousland_ is! This chapter she is my Co-Writer. As her brain was NOT an icky gootastic mess. She was pulling double duty on this one folks! Thank you so much for taking the time to read over it and help me write it. I truly appreciate! **

**Thanks to all of you who review, favorite and just take the time out of your day to read this. You all are awesometastic!**

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* * *

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Alistair sat on the ground with his back resting against the house that was shielding him from the view of both Elissa and Maric. Closing his eyes, he let his mind process the information he had just heard.

_T__hey wanted to protect me. AH!_ Alistair inwardly scoffed. _He wanted to keep his dirty little secret from his adoring public. Best to shove the mistake off and make me Eamon's problem. Eamon nearly did the same thing_. He could hear the thunderous beating of his heart within his ears with every thought. T_hey wanted to keep me from the throne and nobles. Why place me with a noble to begin with? Why not put me in some orphanage? It would have been better than being cast aside time and time again._ With each new thought of rejections passing through his mind, his bitterness grew to new heights.

"He saved me." Alistair heard Elissa state proudly as his ears suddenly cleared themselves of the sound of his own thumping heart. "I owe him my life. Despite all the pain and suffering I caused him. Alistair saved me, when he could have very well let me die slowly. He is a wonderful man. And he just happens to be my hero." She beamed.

At this Alistair's lips tugged into a smile. "Damn it woman." He whispered. "I'm trying to brood over here and you have to go and ruin it."

Hardly surprised, Maric was also smiling at her praise of his son. "A right noble one that lad is." Maric's features turned serious as he turned towards Elissa. "This Avernus. You're positive he's dead yes?" A wave of relief washed over him as Elissa nodded. "Good." He breathed. "If not, I'd have to kill him myself."

Elissa felt heat rising in her cheeks but said nothing.

"Now. About this landsmeet." He grinned at Elissa's disgusted groan.

"I didn't question you about your story!" She whined loudly.

"Who's fault is that my dear?" He said. "Don't worry, I'm not going to stand here and question your decision. Sometimes the hardest decision is the right one," he said turning back towards the water. "As strange as it may sound, I probably would have made the same decision."

"Even though he indirectly killed Cailan, Duncan and very indirectly led to the death of my parents?" She said sorrowfully.

"You are I are not so rare of a breed my dear. Risk takers, rebels, self-thinkers. Sometimes if we look hard enough we can see a bigger picture. The shades of grey within the black and white."

"Soooo...That would be a yes? Right?" She asked curiously.

Alistair barely managed to cover his mouth before his snort of laughter could be heard. _Maker, but he does love the sound of his own voice_.

"Yes." Maric chuckled and rolled his eyes. "I was merely wondering if you and Alistair are truly alright? Have the two of you discussed all of this?"

"Of course we have." She looked thoughtfully towards the water. "Well. We've made it clear we forgive one another."

"Both of you need to sit down and talk about it seriously. Not just go over the whole thing quickly, but really talk about it." Holding up his hand, he silenced any protest or denial that would undoubtedly be voiced aloud. "you need to affirm your trust in each other. Because trust in a relationship is very important. Even if you come out and say nasty things to each other, and feelings are hurt, you will feel better and closer to each other when all is said and done."

Knowing his words were true Elissa nodded.

Alistair glanced sadly towards the ground, hating to admit the old bastard was right, but mentally doing so.

"Now the most important question: Have you forgiven yourself?" He waited patiently as Elissa thought over her answer carefully. She shook her head.

"No. I don't suppose I have." Tears blurred her vision. She did her best to blink them back. She inwardly promised herself she would not cry in front of Maric. "It's kind of funny. I don't feel the least bit guilty for making Loghain a Warden. His death would mean we would survive. I sent a war hero to his death, but hurting Alistair is what I lose sleep over." A bitter smile formed as her jaw clenched. "I even tried to hate him once."

"That obviously worked out for you."

"Shut it old man before I push you into the water."

"Sticks and stones, my dear."

Alistair pushed himself off the ground. Dusting off his bottom, he took one last glance towards the docks and sighed. Quietly, he weaved his way through the maze of houses and towards the hill.

Out of the corner of her eye, Elissa saw a shadow moving behind. She continued to watch from the corner of her eye as the shadow made its way up the hill towards the castle. Smirking, she turned her attention back to Maric. "It's dark," she said.

"Indeed it is." He said, holding his tongue and resisting the urge to make some sarcastic retort. "I suppose that would be your way of telling me we need to leave."

"My, but you are quick on the uptake. It's a wonder you aren't a king."

"I'd hold that sliver tongue of yours, young lady. Someday I might just have you thrown into a prison cell."

Elissa snorted. "For what exactly?"

"Hurting my fragile feelings."

Elissa rolled her eyes. Both turned their backs towards the lake and walked side by side down the twisted docks.

"You didn't love her." Elissa said suddenly.

Without missing a beat, Maric was quick to answer. "Not the same way you love Alistair if that is what you mean. I did hold a great deal of affection for her though. I realized being with her wasn't fair to either one of us."

"Because she wasn't Katriel." It wasn't a question, but stated as fact. Suddenly, Maric stopped. He was staring at Elissa with wide-shocked eyes, mouth pursed into a thin line. At this she knew treading carefully would be wise. "When a man knows he is about to die he tells one all sorts of things," she finished.

His eyes went from that of surprised to despair and sadness. "So. He told you of her, did he?" He asked. Elissa nodded.

"Yes. Because Fiona wasn't...her," was all he said before briskly walking past her.

Elissa had to run in order keep up with him. "I am so sorry. It wasn't my place to bring up such things." She said frantically. Maric slowed his pace slightly.

"It's alright, my dear. I overreacted as I tend to do sometimes." He held out his arm to her to show her there were no hard feelings. She cautiously linked her arm around his as they trudged up the hill.

Briefly and only briefly, Elissa considered telling him everything Loghain had told her. However, the sorrow in his eyes told her the truth would definitely not set this particular soul free.

As they made their way towards the castle stairs, Maric did not notice Elissa carefully untangling her arm from his, nor did he notice her sneaking away as he walked up the stairs. As soon as he opened the door, he was nearly knocked over by Alistair.

"Sorry," he said hurriedly. "Where is Elissa?" He asked, looking behind Maric, who did the same.

"Hmmm. I have no idea. She was just here a minute ago." He said looking curiously around him. "I didn't mean to lose her."

"It's alright. I know where she went," he said, brushing past Maric.

"Alistair." Maric called after him. Alistair stopped and turned. "I'd like to talk to you. Tomorrow if possible." Keeping his wits and emotions about him, Alistair nodded shortly before bouncing down the stairs.

Maric watched him veer to the right, disappearing into the court yard. He would tell his son everything. Maybe if he came clean, Alistair wouldn't act so coldly towards him. "A father can hope I suppose." Maric muttered before he disappeared into the castle.

Making his way to the rose garden, Alistair spotted Elissa sitting on one of the garden benches. She was facing away from him so she did not see him approach as he came up behind her. Silently, he took a seat beside her.

"You aren't as sly as you seem to think you are." She smiled weakly at the bush in front of her.

"Then it is a good thing I never actually believed I was."

Leaning over, Elissa placed her head on his shoulder. Wrapping an arm around her, Alistair held her close against his body.

"How much did you hear?"

"Everything."

A knot formed in Elissa's stomach. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I ran into him on my way here. He wants to 'talk' tomorrow."

"But you've heard everything already." Elissa glanced up at him. Much to her surprise, Alistair was smiling.

"I know that. But he doesn't. Anyway, I think it would be best if we sat down and spoke everything over. I have questions and by the Maker he is going to answer every damned one of them"

"You're awfully attractive when you're assertive like that, my love." She said grinning up at him.

"If I had a silver for every woman who's said that to...OUCH!" He yelled as she smacked him in the arm. "I was only...well okay. I wasn't kidding, but you didn't have to hit me. Rude!"

"Obviously I did." Her brow arched.

"Might I ask why you purposely left out Bryce in your little story?" Alistair asked curiously.

"I'll tell him when the time is right."

"I may not like the man, but I think he should know he has a grandson."

"I don't want him to be used as anyone's tool when the landsmeet comes to pass."

"Oh." Said Alistair. "I suppose that makes sense."

"I will tell him eventually." Elissa sighed softly.

"That is good enough for me, my dear."

"About the other thing." Alistair said suddenly turning gravely serious. "If I can forgive you and I can forgive myself. Why the bloody hell can't you forgive yourself?"

"I'm sure there was plenty of time to forgive yourself between the nightly whoring." Quickly she lifted her head off of Alistair's shoulder. Her hands flew protectively over her mouth before daring to look at him with a horror-stricken face. "I am so sorry." She said with her hands still clasped over her mouth. "I have no idea where that came from."

Momentarily stunned, Alistair simply stared. Then, he did the only thing he could think of doing. He laughed. He laughed until he had tears streaming down his face.

Elissa thought her rudeness had broken something in his brain. "Alistair?" Her voice was meek and trembling. Suddenly he pulled her against his chest, still laughing. had definitely broken something within his brain .

"Sorry, love. I'm just happy is all."

"Happy?" She cocked her head sideways. "My pointing out your whoring makes you happy?"

"No, no." His laughter finally subsided enough for him to speak. "You were able to talk about it. Bring attention to it. You were angry and didn't hold back any bitterness. This is what I was talking about when I told you I wanted no more withheld feelings or secrets." He hugged her tight. "I truly am sorry about that. I was a mess. I didn't know how to handle myself, so I was reduced to an animal."

She mumbled something into his chest he couldn't quite make out."What was that?"

"I said you're absolutely insane."

"Guilty."

"Are we okay?" Elissa asked in a small voice.

"We'll talk more tonight, but yes. I think we're okay." He winked.

"Since we're speaking of honesty." Elissa said with a crooked smile. "Pray tell my love, what business could you possibly have with Owen that would take all day?"

A playful, almost devious smile played out across Alistair's lips. "If you were meant to know at this very moment I would tell you my dear."

"But what about not keeping secrets from each other?" She pushed herself up from the bench. Alistair quickly fell in beside her as they walked towards the castle together hand in hand.

"Some secrets take a little longer to reveal."

Elissa pouted. "Fine! Keep your damned secrets." She said releasing his hand. "Race you to the kitchen!" She yelled, sprinting up the stairs, leaving Alistair far behind. It was a race she knew she could win.

"Hey!" He yelled laughing. Wasting no time, Alistair made haste to catch up to his speedy little minx.

* * *

**Meanwhile...In the middle of nowhere.**

Ser Cauthrien sat on the ground before a roaring fire she had prepared, eating the meal she had prepared as the soldiers assigned to her knew not their arses from a hole in the ground. Sometimes she was amazed they knew which end of the sword to hold. Yet another reason she found herself missing the good old days fighting alongside Loghain.

Looking up from her bowl of broth, she glanced towards the soldier she had assigned to read their map. "You there." She called out to the nervous young soldier who jumped at the sound of her voice.

_Good Maker. These men are all idiots._

"Yes, Ser!" He nearly screamed as he jumped to attention.

Ser Cauthrien frowned and sighed. "Have you figured out yet where we are?"

The soldier turned back to the map sprawled across the ground. "Yes ma'am...I mean Ser. We're somewhere close to Orzammar Ser."

"You may come eat now. Thank you," she mumbled as she went back to her tasteless meal.

She did not want to be here. It felt...wrong. Arresting the hero of Ferelden felt like turning one's back on Ferelden itself. Anora was just as crazed with power as Loghain before her. Although she would never dream of voicing this opinion aloud.

Cauthrien could not understand why the Queen was suddenly turning on Warden Cousland. The Warden had allowed her very own father to live. Even though he had died a hero himself, was the Warden's action of mercy not something to be commended?

And if the man the Warden was helping was truly Maric, why would Anora want to fight a war hero and born leader for his Maker-given right to the throne?

Alas, she was a woman of duty. Even if she did not like carrying out her majesty's petty orders, she would serve the daughter of her general just as she had served the man himself.

This didn't mean she couldn't delay the inevitable for a time. She chose to take the longer of routes, which would take the party two days from now to reach the castle. She looked around the camp at her five soldiers. "We shall depart sometime in the afternoon. We will need to hunt for food before we go any further. " It was a lie. Thankfully no one argued.

_Oh, Warden. I pity the day I finally do reach Redcliffe. Maker have mercy on you, because I know the Queen will not. _


	10. Same story, different day

**A/N: Again I bring you another emotional chapter. I had to make a choice between writing out Elissa and Alistair's emotional talk. Or Maric and Alistair. I went for the far more challenging talk to be sure! **

**Thanks to _alyssacousland_ taking the time out of her own busy writing schedule to edit and correct my mistakes in this chapter (If any of you have not read any of her fic I suggest you do so. They are all fabulous!). Thank you to Jinx1983 and Warrose (who also writes and equally fabulous fic!) for their awesome reviews! Also a huge thanks to those who favorite and simply take the time out of their day to read my story. **

The next morning Elissa sat alone in the dining room slowly eating her breakfast, while reading Bloody betrayal: A rare and true account of the final days of our Rebel Queen.

Being so engrossed her horribly titled book, this prevented her from hearing the heavy footsteps as they entered the dining room.

Across the table from Elissa, stood Maric in all his unkempt, red-eyed glory. Once his eyes were able to focus on the book she held within her hands, he rolled them while shaking his head, which was all he could manage this early in the day. Pulling out the chair before him he sat watching Elissa read. She, in turn, was pretending to ignore him.

"The stories written of my mother are usually grossly exaggerated." He stated dully.

"You mean she wasn't able to actually spew fire from her mouth?" She said slamming the thick book down upon the table and making Maric jump in surprise. "Damn! Then that means you can't kill a man by merely looking into his eyes."

"Afraid not. Tell me how the hell can you be so sarcastic this early in the morning?" He sneered.

Elissa shrugged. "I'll tell you what I tell Alistair. Some of us are just morning people, you old grump." Maric's brow rose. "Yes. I call Alistair an old grump. I was hardly aware it could possibly be an inherited trait."

"I take it he found you. Did you speak with him after we parted?" He asked obviously annoyed.

"Yes." Elissa said smiling fondly. "We spoke while raiding the kitchen. Once we were sure everything was out in the open, and positive there were no more secrets between us we went to bed." She sighed softly as she met Maric's red, yet amused eyes. " But I know what you really want to hear. You were right about everything and I feel much better now that it's out in the open."

With some minor effort Maric managed to flash a satisfied grin.

A castle servant suddenly appeared at Maric's left, he jumped in his chair at the sudden appearance. Soon fright was forgotten as the servant placed a plate filled with eggs, bread and bacon, on the table before him.

Wasting no time Maric shoveled the delicious food into his mouth. As she had done in camp, Elissa could not help but watch in awe as he ate. The man had a Warden's appetite.

"Six years of turnips," he mumbled bitterly between bites.

"You owe me no explanation, I was merely impressed." She said as she retrieved her book from the table and resumed reading.

Upon finishing his food, the castle servant was quick to take his plate, disappearing into the kitchen no doubt to prepare plates for the other guests who would be joining them at any moment.

Their companions trickled into the dining room. Each far too grumpy to start any kind of conversation before food was consumed.

After everyone had finished eating, Leliana was the first to excuse herself in order to attend morning prayer in the village. Each having their own business to attend, the others followed suit, leaving Maric, Alistair and Elissa in a rather uncomfortable silence.

"I believe I'll return this book to the Arl's library." She stood up from her chair, quickly making her way out the door not daring to look at either of them on her way out.

Guilt clinched at Elissa's stomach as she closed the dining room doors behind her. It was cruel to them both to force this conversation so early in the morning. If it did not happen now, the two of them would think of an excuse to keep themselves busy for the rest of the day. Well, she was nearly positive Alistair would have thought up an excuse to avoid his father. Maric didn't seem the type to give in to avoidance.

She placed her book back in the library, soon after she caught up with Zevran, asking him for a sparring match in the court yard. Something told her she would need a bit of sparring to get through her day. 

* * *

There was no good time of day to have this conversation. Both men knew this to be fact. This fact didn't stop both from sitting in a long uncomfortable silence for a time.

Alistair was the first to speak. "As much fun as I'm having listening to us both breathing, I have things to do." He started to rise from his chair. Maric hastily gestured him to sit back down. Alistair slowly sat back down in his chair.

Knowing there was no right way to start off this conversation, Maric simply began speaking of his own beginning and disinterest in ruling, yet having little choice in the matter. He spoke of this in order to let Alistair know that his uncertainty of ruling was more than understandable, and for him to relate in a way.

It was obvious from his steely gaze that Alistair was unmoved by his words. Maric moved on to his journey into the Deep Roads with the Wardens. His gaze never once changed throughout the story.

It was easy for Alistair to act as if he had not already heard everything that was being said. He would be reacting the same way had he not known all of the details. Although he was rather thankful when the story had finished. Finally, a chance for him to get in a word.

"We wanted to protect you from the throne and the dangers it brought. To have a chance at some normalcy." At this Alistair's eyes narrowed. "Had I known Eamon had placed you in a Chantry, I would have gone against our wishes and immediately brought you back to Denerim."

"What happened to Duncan keeping an eye on my progress? Did he ever report back to you of my well-being?" Alistair asked calmly, though his demeanor was not fooling Maric.

"I used to receive reports from him. Sadly, Warden business came up and I stopped receiving reports all together." Maric inwardly cringed at how harsh his words sounded to his own ears.

"If you were so very concerned about my well-being, might I ask why it did not occur to you that perhaps someone else should be sent in his place?"

Maric gulped. "I...I could not..."

"Because you couldn't risk letting anyone else know of my existence." Alistair finished.

"Yes." Maric's choked.

Alistair pushed himself up from his chair. "Thank you for sharing this with me. Now if you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to in the village. Good day to you." He said venomously.

"Alistair, wait." Maric pleaded. He was surprised when Alistair did stop just before reaching out for the doors. "I was hoping we could talk a little. I'd like to..."

"Like to..what? Get to know me? You had years to take the time to know me. You could have started up a conversation when you and Cailan came to visit the arl that one time, when I was a small boy, but you didn't. And apparently you couldn't be bothered to pick up a fucking quill!" Alistair's words came out in a heated rush, the back of his neck and cheeks red with anger.

"Now you're back, find out I'm your only living kin and suddenly I'm supposed to be thrilled to see a father who was never really one to begin with to either of his children." Alistair shook his head. "It doesn't work that way. I was willing to help you get here. I'm even willing to help you in the landsmeet. But when I'm ready to allow you to know me, I'll let you know. Until then, I suggest you stay the hell out of my way."

He pushed open the doors, briskly walking out without a backwards glance.

Maric heaved a heavy sigh. Slowly the tightly wound knot within his stomach subsided

"I wanted to know you. Why else would I have come to Redcliffe if not to see you." He whispered sadly to himself before lowering his head into his hands in order to hid his tears from the servants passing by.

* * *

Anger clouded Alistair's vision as he walked the halls in search of Elissa.

"Alistair my boy, what is tro..." The arl's words trailed as Alistair breezed past him. Pushing open the doors, he flew down the stairs towards the courtyard where Elissa and Zevran were practicing.

"Warden!" He bellowed loudly, causing everyone around him to jump in surprise, including both Elissa and Zevran. "Follow me," he demanded, as he stalked off in the direction of the castle bridge.

"Oh no." Elissa groaned softly enough for only Zevran to hear.

"By the Maker. I know he's no lover of mornings." His brow arched in amusement. "Perhaps you should change his mind about the mornings," he grinned.

"Yes, well. I think I'll wait for a morning when he and Maric haven't had a chance to talk to one another."

"Oh." Suddenly Zevran understood the reason behind the young Warden Commander's sudden change in moods. "You had best not keep him waiting then, yes?"

Elissa sighed and nodded before taking off into a run to catch up with Alistair.

They stopped once they had cleared the bridge. One look at his clinched jaw told Elissa how their talk had gone.

"He told me everything he told you last night. All I could think of was how he had told you first before telling me. That in itself only made me even angrier. He also wishes to know me better." He nearly spat the last sentence. "The nerve of that man! After years of ignoring me, and sending people to do his job. Now he wants to know me! "

Elissa remained silent as she listened to Alistair vent, patting his arm at all the right times, allowing him the space when his anger became too erratic. She felt badly for him, but she also found herself feeling the same way for Maric.

"I was so angry with him for merely suggesting we spend time together." He finished.

"Would spending time with him really be so bad?" Elissa asked cautiously.

His brow raised slightly. "I have no interest in spending time with the man who gave me away."

"I don't believe he had much choice in the matter. He made it sound like he was respecting Fiona's wishes in keeping you from the palace."

"He could have said no."

Elissa sighed softly. "Even if the mother of his child demanded such an action to be implemented? Would you deny the wishes of a mother?"

In turn, Alistair sighed. "You're talking about Bryce, aren't you?" Elissa nodded. "Alright. I get what you're trying to say. But had I known about him, I would have never agreed to give him up for any reason." .

"Alistair I know that. I'm trying to say sometimes life tends to throw us in difficult situations, where we're forced to make choices we wouldn't otherwise make." She smiled as she placed a hand on either side of his face. "I'm not trying to making you feel guilty in any way. All I'm saying is sometimes choices are a real bitch."

Alistair chuckled without really intending to. "Yes, I know this, and I get it. I've mistakes similar to his. Are you saying I should be bonding with the man because I'm screwed up my child's life as he did? I hardly feel like that should be a bonding point for the two of us." He sighed. " I can hardly help the way I feel towards the man."

"Yes, I know that, love. You handled the situation as you saw fit." She said smiling up at him. "No one can blame you for being angry or bitter."

"Thank you for being so understanding, my love." He said as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her against his chest. She wrapped her arms around his waist, hoping a hug would bring him some comfort. "Only you would point out his pain along with mine." He chuckled into her hair.

She pulled back from him, head tilting upwards, a broad smile across her lips. "I'll buy you a drink."

"It's not even mid-day yet." Alistair scoffed.

"My love, after the week we've had I believe a drink is in order." Alistair's brow once again shot up curiously. "Only one." Alistair chuckled followed by a nod of his head.

As they walked up the hill towards Bella's tavern, Elissa heard the loud, thunderous racing of hooves in the distance. Looking up towards the house at the top of the hill above them she saw what the commotion was and chuckled bitterly.

"Never mind about that drink Alistair."

"Why?"

She pointed towards the hill above them. "The Circle mages and templars have arrived sooner than expected."


	11. Thwarted in the end

**A/N: This chapter is a little longer than the others. I had a lot of information to fit in here before the end. About the end...well I'm sorry readers, I love you all, but I wrote that out to be an asshole. Yes, it's been planned since I came up with the idea for this story, because...I'm an asshole. **

**Thank you to alyssacousland for going over this with a fine comb and for suggesting ways to make it better. YOU ROCK! A huge thanks to my usual suspects: alyssacousland, Jinx1983, and Warrose. Your reviews always always make my day and put a smile on my face. Thanks to all of you who favorite and read this. **

* * *

"That was unbelievably fast." Alistair said as he and Elissa watched the horses ride past them and into the village below.

"Let's see now." Elissa looked thoughtfully into the distance. "It is a two day walk from here to the tower, as both of us are well aware."

"Indeed," Alistair muttered as he remembered the sores on his feet from all the walking they had done. Thank the Maker for the freedom to finally travel on horseback.

"Now riding cuts down the travel time by at least day. Hard riding a day and a half. Oh. Mother Hannah must have told her messenger it was an urgent situation," Elissa smiled.

"As riveting as this conversation you seem to be having with yourself is, I need to get going. I have to see a man about...something of absolutely no importance."

His lopsided smirk made Elissa want to reach up and smack the side of his head for being so damned infuriating. "Fine. You know what, I don't care anymore! Go!" She placed a hand on his broad shoulders and pushed him towards the village. "Go and take care of your secret business, while I'm off chatting to mages in a Chantry!" She stopped pushing him. Without wasting any time he started down the hill towards Owen's weapons shop. " I hope you have loads of fun!" She shouted after him.

"Now I'll just have even more fun just so I can tell you about it later!" Alistair yelled back at her while laughing.

"Ugh!" She huffed before turning back to the castle. The whole walk back she smirked and grinned to herself pleased she could make Alistair laugh and somewhat forget about his morning confrontation.

She found Eamon in the main hall and informed him of the mages' arrival. He appeared to be pleased enough, but with the arl it was hard to tell for sure. After inquiring after Maric's whereabouts, Elissa set off towards Maric's bed chambers.

"Maric?" She called out, while knocking firmly on his door. Slowly it opened. Maric stood before her with saddened red eyes. She guessed these red eyes were not from lack of sleep. Her heart went out to the man. "I thought you might like to know the mages have arrived."

"Really? Already?" There was a slight, uneven quiver in his words. Instead of making some snarky comment as she was tempted to do, she nodded.

"I suppose I should see if they are ready to get straight to work." Maric smiled weakly.

"I'll go with you." She smiled cheerfully.

"You don't need to do that Elissa. I'm sure you have more important things to do than watch a bunch of mages cast spells and dip in to my most inner thoughts."

Elissa pretended to appear to be in deep thought as she considered his words. She shook her head. "Not really. Anyway, the more witnesses you have, the better off you'll be when you prove yourself to the nobles."

"Fine." Maric sighed. "Let me clean myself up a bit before we go." He moved behind his door and pushed it shut.

Reappearing moments later, he was dressed in a white shirt with grey trousers. While his smile was warm and inviting, it did not reach his sorrowful red eyes. Elissa took her place next to him. The two walked silently through the castle, down through the village, They stopped and took notice of thet five horses tied up along side Chantry wall. A surprised whistle came from Elissa.

"Can I tell you something?" He asked, as his lips formed a half-sneer.

She nodded. "Of course."

"I'm rather nervous about the whole thing." He confided.

"I honestly don't blame you. I think anyone would be. It isn't often the mages are asked to read the memories of non-magic humans."

"Do you think they will misinterpret my fear as being untruthful?"

"I somehow doubt it," she gave him a smile and his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Alright." Maric sighed heavily as he straightened his posture and looked at the door with a set determination in his eye. "Let's get this over with, shall we?" He muttered as he and Elissa pulled open the Chantry doors.

* * *

There was an unmistakable sense of urgency in the Chantry air. The templars were busy moving bookshelves and stands from one end of the Chantry to the other, while the mages frantically worked to set up stands, lyrium bowls and tomes around a blanket on the floor.

Maric's back began to ache at the thought of spending all damn day lying on a hard surface. Instead of complaining, he spotted mother Hannah standing in a corner watching the activities in amused silence. Both he and Elissa joined her.

Mother Hannah watched as they approached. "Ah. Good. I was just about to send word to the castle of their arrival," she said, eyes trained on Maric as if she were trying to break through his clever disguise.

He was holding her gaze, smiling and silently wishing her the best of luck in such a task.

"Thank you Mother Hannah for making this a top priority," he said politely.

"It isn't every day someone walks into this town claiming to be our beloved king," she said frowning. Her frown deepened as a mage approached the huddled audience.

"First Enchanter!" Elissa exclaimed cheerfully as Kyle approached them. All three bowed their head slightly as he was a mage worthy of their respect. "It is very good to see you again."

"I should have known you would be here." He said equaling her cheerfulness "It lightens my heart to see you doing so well Warden Cousland." She grinned and nodded vigorously. Chuckling softly, Kyle turned to mother Hannah. "We will be ready to begin in a few moments." Mother Hannah nodded in silent response.

Kyle eyed Maric suspiciously. It was a look Maric was quickly becoming accustomed to, but was still insulting nevertheless. "Am I correct in assuming you are the reason we are here?"

"Indeed." Maric muttered.

"Follow me then. We are almost ready to begin." Kyle gestured for Maric to take his place lying down on the blanket. Lying on the floor was just as uncomfortable as Maric had imagined it being. There was little to be done about it now. He was determined to prove he was who be claimed to be.

"Allow me to explain how this process works." Kyle said as he flipped through tomes, tuning to the correct pages he would need. "It won't take as long as you think, which is why we aren't resting after a night's worth of traveling."

"Tired mages performing a ritual involving me. That is awfully comforting." Maric stated, earning him a rare chuckle from Kyle.

"Worry not, Ser, we have plenty of lyrium to keep those of us conscious who need to be." This did little to comfort Maric. "Four of us; two here and here." He pointed to Maric's head and feet. "will be reciting from these tomes. The lyrium stands will not only serve as a source of power for the tomes, it will also allow one of us to travel into your subconscious thoughts. In this case it will be myself."

"As the tomes are being read you and I will be placed in a comatose state. I have been armed with enough knowledge of Maric's past from books and people who knew him, to correctly determine if you are indeed showing me the truth. Being a human incapable of magic, the process itself will take at least eight hours. If you are not who you claim to be, this is your last chance to declare it so. If I should come back knowing you have deceived us all, you will be put to death."

"Let's be done with this." Maric's eyes gleamed with determination.

"In just a moment. I am awaiting for...Ah." The doors opened revealing Eamon's arrival. "There he is. This won't take but a moment." Not waiting for a response, Kyle walked up to Eamon, questioning him of his knowledge of Maric. This took far longer than Kyle had anticipated, but any information from someone who knew the man in question was useful.

"I had no idea Eamon knew so much about me." Maric told Kyle upon his return.

"Neither did he." Kyle said as he stretched himself out upon the blanket beside Maric. "Are we ready?" He asked the mage standing above him.

"Yes."

"Begin." Kyle ordered. The four mages began reading from their specific tome, mumbling words and phrases. Had Maric not been so very sleepy, it would have been enough to give him a headache. Instead, he gave into his heavy eyelids and fell asleep promptly.

Elissa, Eamon and Mother Hannah watched the ritual from a nearby pew, each of them fascinated by the amount of magical energy within the room.

Mother Hannah leaned over and whispered into Elissa's ear. "Surely you don't plan on staying for all eight hours of this do you, my dear?"

Not taking her eyes off of the scene before her, she nodded her head. "Of course I do," she whispered back. "I told him I would. The more reliable witnesses he has, the more likely it is he will succeed in winning the landsmeet."

"So, you believe he is who he claims to be?"

"Of course I do. I don't believe he gains anything but his death by lying to any of us. Not to mention I see both Cailan and Alistair in him. Not only facially, but in attitude and presence as well. I can't help but believe he's anyone but Maric." She left out how sad and hurt he looked after Alistair's rejection. That in itself left no doubt in Elissa's mind he was anyone other than the real Maric.

The ritual lasted for nearly eight hours. Everyone was thrilled when one of the mages announced they were done. Slowly Maric and Kyle awoke, both groggy from their experience.

As anxious as everyone was, no one pressed for answers so soon after they awoke.

Elissa watched Kyle speak with his fellow mages and do something strange with his finger over the lyrium bowl. He must have been satisfied when his actions because soon he was helping Maric off the floor, and standing before Mother Hannah, a broad smile spread across his face.

"By the Maker! He really is who he claims. He is indeed our long lost King Maric!"

"So the First Enchanter's conclusion shall be duly noted." She walked up to Maric. He was relieved to see she was no longer looking at him as if he were some plague. "Once the First Enchanter has finished giving me a complete recollection of everything he has seen within you, I will be more than happy to testify on your behalf at any landsmeet you may have called."

"Thank you, Mother Hannah." He looked behind her to Elissa and Eamon, who were both smiling widely. "I am on the verge of an epically bad mood. Food and much of it will be needed."

As the First Enchanter and Mother Hannah retired to her chamber to talk over what he had learned, Maric, Elissa, and Eamon walked back towards the castle, ready to call a celebration feast for everyone.

* * *

Everyone except Alistair was more than willing to partake in the celebration of the 'official' return of Maric. The vast amount of food served was a deciding factor for all in attendance. The celebration itself ended just after nightfall due to the guest of honor's fatigue from sleeping all day. Much to everyone's great disappointment, the festivities ended when he left.

Elissa and Zara walked down the hallway together speaking of dueling the next day. Zara was eager to learn to be a duelist, Elissa was only too happy to oblige.

"Oh goody. Another skill learned is just what you need," Anders mumbled under his breath.

"Afraid I might actually beat you?" Zara smirked up at him. Elissa could not help but snicker. Anders and Zara had done something close to "dueling" every morning since their arrival. It always ended up with her being frozen in place, and Ander's refusal to undo the spell in fear for his life.

"Hardly. I have magic on my side." He said puffing his chest out proudly.

"Ah yes. Magic. The weapon of men who are too scared to fight with swords. Or are they just too heavy for your frail, little womanly frame?" Zara said before she broke out into a run. "See you tomorrow morning, Warden Cousland!" She called back breathlessly behind her.

"Goodnight Anders," She smirked knowingly at the grinning mage. He quickly bid her a good night and gave chase to his spry elf.

Disappearing into her own room, Elissa cringed at the sound of Alistair singing at the top of his lungs. Thankful for what little sound the door muffled, Elissa's hands still few to her ears, as he had a voice only dogs could appreciate.

She was ready to march into the bathroom to demand he stop making her wish she had been born without ears, when she saw a medium sized box lying on their bed. Her curiosity peaked, she walked over to make a closer inspection of the wooden box.

Carefully she picked it up with both hands, surprised at how light it was. Setting it back on the bed, she cast a quick sly glance towards the bathroom. Alistair wouldn't mind her taking a peak now. Would he? Elissa did not give her mind much time to ponder this before she flipped open the hinged top.

Her eyes grew wide with excitement when she saw the contents. Inside the velvet lined box lay two beautiful daggers. The blades themselves were smooth, straight and sharpened. They were made of a sturdy cut of white steel, while the hilts were made of silver, giving them a glossed look.

"Do you like them?" Alistair stood in the bathroom doorway, a pleased smile spread across his lips.

"Of course I do." Elissa cooed breathlessly. "They are absolutely gorgeous."

Alistair released a breath he had no idea he had been holding. They weren't made of the finest metals in all of Thedas, but he knew something like that would not matter to her.

"Is this the secret you and Owen have been working on?" She asked.

"Yes. It was done sooner than both of us expected." He said trying his best to hide his shaking voice. He cleared his throat nervously. Bullets of sweat ran down his brow and the back of his neck. His stomach tied itself in knots. "Ummm...Both of them are inscribed." He pointed shakily to the daggers.

This sudden nervous shaking did not escape Elissa's notice. "I haven't seen you this nervous since you asked me to sleep with you." She blurted.

"Yes. Thank you for pointing that out."

She brought each dagger up to her eyes for a closer inspection. The words were lightly engraved into the metal. Engraved on the first dagger was: "_Marry_", The second read: "_Me_."

Elissa let the daggers drop to the bed. Slowly she turned towards Alistair, eyes wide with shock.

Alistair shifted nervously where he stood. "I know a lot of women enjoy rings, bent knees and whatnot. But I thought this method was a little more...you. Unless you want a ring. Then I'll take these down straight away to have them melted down."

"This is better than any ring." She gushed. "Yes. Of course I'll marry you." She said walking towards Alistair, who was still processing her reply when she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his face down to her own and claiming his lips passionately.

His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her against his body. "I believe we should celebrate." He whispered against her lips. Pulling her even closer against his body, feeling his prominent arousal, Elissa had to snicker at his lack of subtlety.

"I believe that is in order." She purred against his lips.

This would have led to more had their celebration not been interrupted by a knock at their door. Both groaned bitterly in protest.

Alistair pointed down to her armored top. "You might want to fix that before you open any doors, my love."

Indeed he was correct. It was half-opened, exposing her left breast. Giggling, she snapped the armor shut.

"Someone has busy hands." At this Alistair grinned proudly.

"Yes?" She said as she opened the door.

There stood a nervous servant. "Ummm. Pardon the interruption Wardens, but the arl requires your presence immediately. He is in the main hall." He bowed before leaving.

"Of course he does," Alistair sighed as he followed Elissa out of the room.

Elissa was surprised to see Maric standing beside the arl, looking tired, but worried as did the arl himself. Before the arl stood the queen's men, and Ser Cauthrien. The air went out of Elissa's lungs as Ser Cauthrien turned on her heels and stood before her. Was that sympathy in her eyes? It was hard for Elissa to be sure.

"I am here by the order of Her Royal Majesty to give you this." She handed Elissa a rolled up scroll. She had some idea what it was, but not why. She nervously unrolled the sheet. Upon reading what information it held Elissa chuckled bitterly. "You are under arrest Warden Cousland," Ser Cauthrien said. There was no mistaking it now. There was sympathy there in her eyes and voice.

"Under arrest?" Alistair repeated outraged at the very idea. "On what charge?"

"Treason." Elissa said. _Damn. I should have seen this coming. Clever woman_.

"What!" Alistair's voice boomed throughout the otherwise quiet room. "How can you do this to a he..." Elissa placed a hand on Alistair's shoulder and squeezed

"Alistair," she interrupted. "My love, yelling about it won't help anyone and neither will fighting." She smiled sadly as she kissed him tenderly upon his left cheek. "Instead of worrying about me, you need to help Maric win this landsmeet."

"No! This isn't right! There has to be some mistake. There must be something we can do!" He asked frantically. The somber look upon Elissa's beautiful face told him she believed otherwise.

"Fine. I'll do what I can." He swallowed the lump in his throat as he watched her go. She was immediately surrounded by soldiers to prevent any kind of escape. He watched even after they had left the hall.

"How long before we can call a landsmeet?" He heard Maric ask. His voice was raw with anger.

"Two weeks."

"Not fast enough!" Maric yelled.

Alistair walked past them, heading towards...well he didn't know. But he had to go somewhere..do something. Anything!

Maric spoke to him in passing. "Alistair. I'm sorry I..." He would have finished this, but soon found himself on the ground, his jaw throbbing with pain where Alistair's fist had connected.

"Damn right you're sorry! You should have seen this coming," he sneered. "I'll be in the library." He said acidly before leaving.

Eamon helped Maric up. "The boy has a temper."

"No time to dwell on such things." Maric muttered as he rubbed his jaw. "I'll be writing out landsmeet invitations." Without another word he turned towards the arl's study. 

* * *

"Mother Hannah!" Elissa gaped as the mother was forced to march beside her. "What in Thedas have they arrested you for?"

Mother Hannah's eyes gleamed with outrage. "A warrant of questioning." She scoffed.

"Questioning my arse," Elissa muttered. "I'm sure your 'questioning' will last as long as the landsmeet."

"I assumed as much."

"Damn."

"Indeed, my child. Damn." Both looked down hopelessly at the ground as they were marched toward Denerim.


	12. Downward spiral

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. Between my new job and a lack of sleep I was finding it really hard to fit in time to write. LAME! This chapter was awfully tricky. The First part part is obvious in it's content. The second skips a few days, if only to save all of us time. Their trip was boring anyways so I didn't feel the need to write about it. Another reason this chapter was so hard is because in my first story I tried VERY hard to make Anora half way human and likable. This chapter throws all of that hard workout of the window. COMPLETELY. She is evil. The chapters from here are pretty dark and will sometimes be rather graphic. So just give you all fair warning. **

**A huge thanks to my editor alyssacousland for catching my mistakes and correcting them! A thanks goes out to my reviewers as well. You guys totally make my day! Also thanks to those who read and favorite this story. Thanks all!**

* * *

Both Maric and Alistair sat as far away from one another as they could at the dining table, picking at their breakfast but neither actually eating. Sleep had eluded them as Alistair had been up all night researching and Maric writing out invites to the nobles. A sense of dread filled each man's stomach as the footsteps of their companions could be heard in the distance.

"Where is Elissa?" Nathaniel inquired as he looked about the table for any signs of Elissa with her nose stuck in a book.

Alistair waited until everyone had entered the room and sat before speaking. After relaying the events of the previous night the room erupted in cries of disbelief and outrage. Having felt much the same way, Alistair did not attempt to silence them.

"How is helping the rightful ruler treason?" Anders demanded heatedly over all of the others' shouting.

Alistair stood from his seat, holding his hands up to silence all at the table. Slowly, the shouts of outrage became soft whispers.

"In helping Anora nearly four years earlier, she swore fealty to Ferelden's one and only Queen. Even in helping the rightful person gain the crown, her actions fall under the category of treason against the current crown." Everyone stared at Alistair with the same look of confusion and bewilderment. Alistair frowned deeply as he rolled his eyes. "I was up all night reading every book I could find on Ferelden law. I still have several volumes to read, but I doubt I'll find anything in any of those that will add anything useful."

"What about a day in court? " Nathaniel suggested thoughtfully. "Surely the Ferelden people won't stand for the arrest of their hero?"

"I don't suppose they will." Maric said. "Which is why I doubt Anora will make the arrest public."

"Can she actually avoid doing that?" Anders's voice went up an octave higher than usual.

"Not every single arrest made needs to be publicized to the people and nobles." Maric answered. "Sometimes it's done because it's unimportant. Other times it may be far too important and done out of respect to an important person's family."

"What are the rules on spite?" Anders asked.

Maric chuckled bitterly before answering. "Royal spite has none. But I must confess her motives elude me. Elissa must pose a big enough threat to Anora in some way that she feels the need to dispose of her. It can't just be the Amaranthine vote at the Landsmeet. There must be something else."

All around the table exchanged knowing looks. Even in his sleepy haze, the looks did not escape Maric's notice. It bothered and annoyed him. "What?" He asked.

Alistair cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Ummm...I'll fill you in on that later."

"No." Maric sang. "Your version of later is procrastination. You'll fill me in on that now."

"Fine." Alistair said between clenched teeth. "If you end up winning the landsmeet, it would give Elissa an opportunity to ask for a day in court, where she would ask to have our son be returned to us on the grounds that she was not in a coherent frame of mind when giving him up in the first place. In turn, this would mean Anora would lose everything connected with the throne, and any hold she has over Elissa and to a lesser extent myself," he finished with sarcastic cheerfulness and a forced smile.

"Wait...I thought...I mean...What?" Maric fumbled though this words as his mind wrapped around the idea of a grandson. Or even two Grey Wardens having a child. Then a thought struck him which made him glare daggers at his son. "And you blame me for leaving you?" Maric asked dully. Alistair returned his hostile glare.

"We don't have time for this right now!" Nathaniel bellowed as he stood from his chair, knocking it to the floor. "Not only is Elissa in danger, but Bryce could be as well. Since a rescue is out of the question, might I suggest we place our petty differences aside and make a Landsmeet happen as soon as possible?"

After several seconds of glaring at one another Maric was the first to break eye contact. His eyes met Nathaniel's. He nodded in agreement with the lad. "Eamon and I have been up most of the night working on writing out invitations. We finished only an hour ago and sent them off with several messengers. With any luck they should arrive the nobles within three days."

"I believe it would be wise for Mother Hannah and myself to depart for Denerim tomorrow in order to avoid further incidents." Maric stated firmly. "You are all welcomed to come over course, if any of you should wish to accompany us."

"Might I make a suggestion?" Zevran asked. "Instead of Denerim, where there will no doubt be an endless amount of royal spies keeping watch over our every move, I think Soldier's peak is a better choice, yes?"

"True." Alistair said thoughtfully. "It's likely she has spies in every city from here to Orzammar, but the peak is close enough to Denerim, and it's rather doubtful she's thought about bribing any Wardens into spying for her. "

"Wouldn't that place the Wardens under suspicion?" Maric asked.

"I'm sure it would." Alistair said as he stood from his chair. "But for now it's a safe a place as any." Everyone else stood as well. "Lel, would you be so kind as to run down to the chantry and inform Mother Hannah of our plans?"

"Oh course." She said and with great haste scurried from the room.

"I have an idea." Maric said.

Alistair groaned aloud. "What?" He rolled his eyes.

Maric ignored Alistair's annoyance. "Since we can't rescue Elissa, why don't we acquire a spy of our own, place them in Fort Drakon in order to keep an eye on the situation?"

"That actually isn't a bad idea." Alistair could hardly keep the surprise from his tone. He was almost angry with himself for not coming up with the idea first. "I'm sure we'll be able to find someone in the Peak who is up to the job."

Smirking, Maric shook his head. "There's no need for that. We have someone right here whom I believe is perfectly capable of such a task."

"You wouldn't be suggesting Lel?" Alistair laughed. "Anora would pick her out of a crowd in a second, as she would any of us." There were grunts of agreement from all in the room.

Maric lips tugged into a devious smirk. "Not all of us." He looked to his right. "Zara. How would you rate your acting skills?"

"I'd rate them about a zero." She said dully. She closed her eyes followed by a soft sigh of defeat. "What would I need to do?"

"We would need to find you new clothes." Maric said as he circled around the elf inspecting, which made Zara vastly uncomfortable. "Dirty you up a bit. Yes. I believe you would blend in splendidly." He stopped in front of her, looking down at the confused looking elf, who was looking at Alistair, silently pleading for help.

"Are you suggesting we send Zara in as a servant?" Alistair said sounding as if he agreed with the idea. Zara groaned with disgust.

"Well this is certainly a step forward for my people."

"We...I need someone on the inside to keep an eye on Elissa." Alistair frowned. "I have complete faith in your abilities."

The sadness in her commander's eyes broke her heart. "Oh fine." She sighed as she rolled her eyes. There was relief in Alistair's eyes that made her roll them again. "Damn shems can't do anything without us elves around to clean up your messes." She muttered before walking out of the dining room and in the direction of the servants' quarters before Alistair or anyone else could thank her. Alistair caught Zev's attention, motioning for him to follow her. Chuckling softly to himself, Zev was quick to follow.

"Get some rest, commander." Anders said. "For now Nathaniel and I will take care of everything that demands attention."

Alistair shook his head. "That's alright." He clasped Anders's shoulder giving the mage a short reassuring squeeze. "Get your get yourselves packed, then come see me in the library." Nodded shortly, both Anders and Nate left the room.

"I should start packing as well." Maric muttered as he strolled out of the room.

"Thank you." Alistair said quietly. Stopping short of the double doors, Maric turned his head slightly towards Alistair. "For...suggesting...Well you know." Sadly, Alistair's discomfort bought Maric some inward satisfaction.

"Sure." He said before leaving the room. Alistair left shortly thereafter for the library. The longer he could avoid his room and packing his and Elissa's things, the longer he could avoid the tears which threatened to spill forth from his eyes.

"Alistair!" He heard Leliana's frantic and breathless scream even from the Library. Throwing the book he held in his hand down to the desk, he rushed out to the main hall to see what could possibly be wrong now.

Both Alistair and Maric reached the main hall at the same moment, breathless from running as fast as they could. Yet neither was as out of breath as Leliana. "Oh Alistair, it's horrible!" She said between breaths. It was obvious she had come back from the village as fast as her legs could carry her. He waited patiently as she caught her breath.

"Mother Hannah is gone!" She cried frantically. "The Chantry is in such an uproar, there is simply no trace of her! I was told that several soldiers came in and took her away. Do you think this has something to do with the soldiers from last night?"

Slowly Alistair and Maric turned to look worriedly at one another.

"Can she do this?" Alistair asked.

"Shit!" Maric spat. "It doesn't much matter if she can or not because she just did." He yelled loudly before turning back to his room.

"I'll go and pack my things." Leliana said. Alistair nodded.

"Yes. I believe we're leaving sooner than we had originally anticipated." He sighed as he walked back to his room, undertaking the grim task of packing his and Elissa's belongings.

* * *

**Several days and miles later...**

Four days had come and gone since she and Mother Hannah had been forced to leave Redcliffe. Ser Cauthrien had been kind enough in allowing them each a place on the back of a soldier's horse, which made their trip back to Denerim much faster. Nightly, Ser Cauthrien expressed her regret in carrying out such actions. Elissa let the former soldier pour out her apologies, as she had little choice in the matter.

"You," she said pointing to a random nervous soldier. "Make haste to the palace, and tell her majesty of our arrival." The solider saluted and hurried off towards the palace. "You," she said to the soldier who currently had Mother Hannah as a passenger. "Take Mother Hannah and wait inside the Fort Drakon Chantry. I will be there shortly." The soldier did as he was told.

They arrived within the city at mid-afternoon. They stopped just outside the market district gates. She had one of two choices: She could march the Warden and Hero of Ferelden through the busy district and word of the hero's arrest would spread like wildfire throughout Denerim. The commoners would be outraged with her majesty's actions and demand to know the reason behind her arrest. The only drawback Ser Cauthrien could think of was the embarrassment it would cause Warden Cousland.

Her second option would be to take her directly to Fort Drakon and await the Queen's arrival. Looking back at Elissa she gave the Warden a pleading look.

"Do what you think is best." She offered with a weak smile.

How in the Maker's name can she smile at a time like this? She wondered to herself as she jumped down from her horse and ordered her men to do the same. She would march the Warden through the city itself. The people had a right to know what was happening under their noses.

Elissa kept her eyes cold and on the back of Ser Cauthrien's skull. Not because she was angry with the woman, she merely did not want to meet anyone's gaze. She could hear hushed conversations as they passed. It did not take Elissa long to understand Ser Cauthrien's dilemma and why she was taking this particular route. She could hardly be angry with her for helping stir up a bit of controversy and questioning of the Queen's motives.

"Good maker! What are the Queen's men doing with Warden Cousland?" Asked one woman.

"Oh my! Wait until her brother hears of this," said another woman.

Never had Elissa been so happy to see the Denerim gates in her whole life. Quickly a new sense of dread filled her as they approached Fort Drakon.

They entered the prison where Elissa was quickly surrounded by four prison guards who took her to the lower levels, which she knew from the plans she helped construct during the massive rebuild of Denerim were reserved for the lowest of the low. They were dingy, dirty and rat-infested, fitting for the lowest of criminals.

_It figures she would put me here_.

They stopped just outside of what she guessed would be her cell for the time being, and waited.

After an hour, the Queen finally made her appearance. Elissa sneered at the perfectly primed and groomed woman descending down the hall, a twinkle in her icy blue eyes that made Elissa want to grab a sword and run it through her neck.

The men around her bowed deeply. Elissa did not follow suit, which earned her a hard and painful kick to her backside. Even so, she would not give them the satisfaction of groaning in pain.

"You may go back to your floor now." Anora said to the guards, keeping her amused gaze locked on Elissa's hard glares.

_"Do not give her the satisfaction of a reaction,"_ Elissa inwardly demanded herself.

"A reason to explain my actions is not necessary," Anora sneered at Elissa.

Elissa said nothing, but continued to stare.

"This will be your temporary residence for the time being." She waved a hand towards the large wooden door beside them.

Elissa merely continued to stare. She knew her hard gaze was bothering the Queen, as she noticed a small nervous twitch in the corner of her right eye.

"I believe the guards I've placed here will attend to your every need. Although they may be slightly out of sorts with you, seeing how you killed their former employer."

At this Elissa could actually feel the blood rushing from her face. She blinked in surprise before she could stop herself. _Howe's men_. She gulped at the mere thought.

"I'm sure, given your reaction, you've indeed figured out to whom I am referring. But just so it is said aloud. I had to place Howe's former soldiers somewhere; I felt this was a proper place for them.

_"You told me you had them all killed,_" she sneered both inwardly and outwardly. Suddenly two men appeared beside her and grabbed her arms, squeezing hard enough to make her flinch. Both wore wide evil grins as they leered at her.

"I believe that is all. If I need to speak with you I shall send a servant, or guard." She turned gracefully on her heels and started away. Suddenly she stopped and turned as if she had forgotten to say something. "Oh yes. I did mention something about a temporary stay. You see, I informed the Wardens of Weisshaupt of your recent activities. They were hardly interested. However, they were interested in you and Bryce. They are on their way here to take you both back with them." She smiled politely before turning back towards the exit.

The moment she disappeared, the guards opened the door and threw Elissa inside. She hit the floor hard and face first. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.

"Well, well. If it isn't the Cousland brat," said one of the guards. "We'll be back for you later, sweet thing."

"Yes. We're curious if your blood is black just like the Darkspawn." They each chortled loudly as the slammed the door and started down the hallway.

Slowly Elissa pushed herself from the floor into a sitting position. She tried hard to harness whatever she could of her inner rage, but nothing came. "Figures," she chuckled bitterly as she brought her knees under her chin and waited for the guards' inevitable return.


	13. Frustrations and Iron Bars

**A/N: Thanks to alyssacousland for her fantasic editing. and to Jinx1983 for making sure everything was in working order and for coming up with the title for this damn chapter. A thanks to all of you cheeky monkeys who review and favorite this story as well! **

**Outside of Soldiers Peak**

The journey from Redcliffe to Soldiers Peak had been tedious. Not because they had been forced to ride hard day and night over the last several days, nor was it because of the lack of food or sleep. No. The trip had been tedious because of Alistair. While they understood his moodiness, it didn't make dealing with him any easier. Maric especially had been a central target of Alistair's wrath. The sun began to set on what most guessed to be their third day of travels. The Peak finally came into view. There was a collective loud sigh of relief from all as they entered the court yard.

Alistair and Zara remained behind while the others rode on to the warm beds that awaited them. Zara was jealous. She would much rather be resting than spend another moment on her blasted horse. No rest for those with missions ahead of them.

A feeling of dread filled Zara as Alistair turned to address her. While she understood the reason behind his shortness with everyone, it still didn't make it right that he should be taking his frustration out on those around him. Of course no one was brave enough to point out how unfair he was being.

"Do you have the dress?" Alistair asked. Zara nodded and held up the ratty dress she had commandeered from one of the servants girls within Redcliffe castle. It was longer than she was comfortable with. Tiny holes and food stains ran down all sides of the dress. The thing had once been red, but had faded into a dull brown from years of wear and tear. Zara had scrunched her nose at the thing, but Zevran assured it was similar to what all elven servants wear. It was still disgusting.

"Good. Now remember I want daily reports. Zevran will meet you in the alleyway between the city and the fort." He reminded her for what felt like the hundredth time. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes was harder than she could have ever imagined. Instead she simply smiled and nodded.

"Of course Commander." She said.

"Don't be late, and don't forget."

"Yes commander." She said dully.

"I'm sorry if I'm boring you Warden Mahariel." His tone dripping with sarcasm.

She was tired of walking on egg shells with him. "Commander. I know the plan, I remember the plan. We've been over the fucking plan time and time again. It's really not that complicated. Stop treating me as if I were an imbecile. You know damn well that I'm not."

Alistair narrowed his eyes, as did Zara. "I suggest you watch your tone Warden Mahariel." He warned.

"Of course commander." She said without feeling as she fell back upon her usual impassive response. There was no point in arguing, even though she felt the need to point out that he was being a complete and utter ass. Until Warden Cousland was back safe and sound he would continue to be a total ass.

'If you are discovered you are to come back to the peak immediately. Understood?"

"Yes." She was convinced the man loved the sound of his own voice. Why else would someone go over a plan this many times?

"I don't care if her arrest is legal. If she is being harmed in any way, you are to do everything and anything in your power to bring her back here."

"Yes." She said as she tugged lightly on her reigns, positioning her horse in the direction of Denerim. "You'll hear from me tomorrow. Evening." She said as she kicked like sides of her horse before Alistair could respond. She did not want to give him a chance to go over the plan, yet again. Nor did she want to add to his rage by telling him exactly what she thought of him at that very moment. The sooner he knew of Elissa and her condition the better off he would be. Perhaps it might even calm him to the point where he wasn't yelling at everyone for the smallest infractions, or for no reason at all. That thought was enough to force her horse from a gallop to a full on run towards Denerim.

Alistair did not watch her leave. Partially because he was embarrassed of his attitude and how he had treated her. But mostly because he had research to do.

Turning his own horse he rode though the peak courtyard, where he was greeted by the Warden he left in charge before leaving for Redcliffe. He knew he had been gone, and neglecting his Warden duties for too long. Such was obvious when his fellow Warden gave him a recruiting and training report.

Once the Warden in charge was finished with his report, Alistair told him of the goings on and new developments over the past month. They had a right to know. His news was met with disbelief then shock.

"I can scarcely believe the Queen would do such a thing!" Exclaimed the Warden who appeared to be genuinely concerned. "They always appeared to be on such good terms with one another."

"Looks can be deceiving Warden." Alistair stated flatly. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the Warden nod. He excused his fellow Warden from his command, then excused himself.

Instead of going straight to the study, where he was almost positive there were millions of requests awaiting his attention, Alistair went in the opposite direction and up the stairs towards the tower bridge. He paced the length of the bridge, hoping it would diminish the intense anxiety he felt. It didn't. If anything it gave him more time to think over the situation, which, in turn was upsetting him even more than it had before.

The whole situation was infuriating. How is it Anora found just the loophole she needed just when she needed it, and he could find nothing? Eli's only chance for release was to help Maric win his damned landsmeet. Thanks to Anora that option was becoming less likely by the minute. Group planning was in order. Alistair knew he needed a calmer head in order for that to happen, along with doing a better job of resisting the urge to punch Maric whenever the man was anywhere near. He knew was being unfair to the others, which needed to be remedied. This whole mess wasn't their fault. He would have to make it up to them once everything was in order and back to normal. If normalcy was still an option.

It wasn't fair! He only had Eli back for a short while and now she was gone again. And who knew what the guards were doing to her? What the queen had ordered to be done with her. Just the mere thought of what might be going on there made his blood boil and his rage flare to dangerous degrees.

To hell with rules and laws, he wanted to barge into the fort, kill every man that happened to be stupid enough to get in his way, save her and bring her back where she was safe. In the back of his mind Elissa's loud voice continually told him this plan wasn't an opinion. This damn voice only managed to anger him even more. He wished Maric were around. He needed to punch something that deserved it.

Setting his palms against the stone railing, Alistair tilted his head towards the ground, closed his eyes and forced himself to take several deep cleansing breaths. "Stop it," he whispered sternly to himself. He was no use to himself or anyone else angry.

Not yet ready to begin attacking the Peak's vast library, he pushed himself from the ledge and began pacing the length of the bridge, hoping the exercise would help relieve some of his tension but it only left him more anxious than he had been before.

Pacing like a mad man was not doing Alistair's nerves any favors. Since he knew sleep would allude him as it had since Elissa's arrest days earlier, he would simply have to make use of the massive peak library until his comrades were up and ready to talk about the blasted Landsmeet.

* * *

**Fort Drakon Dungeon**

Covered from head to toe in her own blood, Elissa sat in the middle of the cell watching the door with a sense of dread in the pit of her stomach, as if she expected the door to be flung open at any given moment. They had just finished prodding her skin with knives, swords and fire-kissed metals. Their enjoyment at her suffering was truly terrifying. How could one man spawn such cruelty in others? They enjoyed the feel and sound of the searing hot blade slipping into her skin, and the screams of pain which followed. It would thankfully always remain a mystery to her.

Vowing they weren't completely heartless monsters, the guards promised to send in a mage to heal any internal damage. She knew she had several broken ribs from the kicks she had received between the stabbing and prodding. The external wounds were to stay until they eventually scabbed and healed themselves. These monsters took great pride in their handiwork, they saw her scars as works of art to be admired and they did whenever they so pleased.

The beatings had been expected. No doubt Anora would have encouraged them to do as much. If only to get her point across; she was in control of this situation now. But this was unexpected. How she remembered Anora's assurance of having ordered the execution of all of Howe's men was a mystery, but she nevertheless remembered the conversation. It gave her peace of mind that the men who had killed all of her friends, and family had met their own end. Now Anora had taken that from her as well. Anora's own cruelty cut deeper than those of her tormentors. Elissa could have kicked herself for believing a single word which passed from that snake's lips.

When the mage arrived she was quick about mending the broken ribs. Neither woman made eye contact, nor did they speak. Elissa knew the mage would not help. Healing the lowest of prisoners was her job. Given the lack of pain in the sides of her body, it was a job she was very good at. The mage left as quickly as she had entered, leaving Elissa alone in her now semi-darkened cell.

Elissa slowly pushed herself off of the ground. Despite the mages bone mending, everything in her body still protested at her sudden movement. Her open wounds were the worst. They screamed with every move she made. Finally, after much effort, she staggered towards the tiny window near the right corner of the cell.

The window was only big enough to keep track of the sun setting and rising. At the moment it was setting. This meant the guards would be finished with their evening naps. They would be back within the hour to spout off tired insults at her and admire their work again. Heaving a heavy sigh, Elissa placed her back against the wall and slid herself down to the floor again resisting the urge to scream out in pain.

"Not even here a whole two days and I have these bloody bastards' schedule down." She whispered sadly to herself. Tears began forming in her eyes. She was angry with herself for feeling helpless. Without her daggers she felt there was not much she could do to protect herself. She loathed feeling as if she were some damsel in need of rescuing. Whether she liked it or not that was exactly was she was.

She continued to watch the door, until it opened an hour later. Five men dressed in Howe colors entered the room, each grinning wickedly at her for reasons Elissa could not fathom. She forced her face to remain void of emotion. Her passive demeanor gave way to fear when the fifth guard came through the doorway. A large maul was in his hand.

One guard grabbed her by the neck and threw her across the room towards the door.

"Pretty little thing flies like a bird." One guard sneered as he flapped his arms as a bird would. The others burst into a fit of laughter.

"Get up you twit." One of the guards nudged her leg forcefully with his boot. Casting a hate-filled look over her shoulder at the monsters laughing behind her, Elissa pushed herself to her feet, her bones throbbing in protest with every small move she made.

Apparently she had been moving much too slowly for her guards. The guard wielding the maul walked across the cell towards Elissa, the mighty weapon pulled back and ready to swing. Unable to move, unable to scream, she watched in horror as he brought down the weapon upon her hand. Her loud screams of agony filled the fort.


	14. Wicked ways, wicked plays

**A/N: FINALLY! DONE WITH THIS BLASTING THING! Writing three POV is a little harder than I remember it being. I swear I still love Elissa, but her suffering is kind...well fun to write. Sorry all. I'm a bit twisted like that. **

**A huge thanks you alyssacousland for editing. And Jinx1983 for suggesting on how to make this this chapter more dramatic and awesometastic. Thanks you all of you who take the time out of your busy days to read, review and favorite.**

* * *

**Denerim Alienage**

Several hours of tedious horseback traveling and one failed bandit attack later Zara found herself sitting outside of the Denerim city gates, when a sudden realization hit her. She had no flipping clue where Fort Drakon was located.

It was something she felt she should have known given how many years she had actually spent in Denerim. However, she had never ventured any farther than the Market District. Those experiences in the Market district had been bad enough. Venturing out any further just felt like an overall bad idea.

Knowing the Market district would be practically deserted at this time of night, Zara turned her horse towards the nearest stables, paid the stable master, and walked in the direction of the Alienage gates. She knew that even at this late hour Shianni would yet be up and wrangling drunken elves into their homes for the night.

Upon her arrival through the gates, Zara resisted the urge to cover her nose. For years she had lived and even become accustomed to the smell of vomit, mud and rotting wood. Staying in a place as nice as the Peak, or even in her tent had allowed her to forget the sights and unfortunate smells of the Alienage.

Once she was sure she had her gag reflexes under control, Zara spotted Shianni near the main gates. She was busy shoving a slobbering drunken elf into his home and shutting the door before he could protest.

Pleasantries and embraces were exchanged, quickly followed by Zara giving Shianni the condensed version of everything that had happened since she had joined with the Wardens. Once she finished, Zara silently observed the elf's thoughtful if not puzzled expression. Shianni closed her eyes and shook her head. A slight smirk crept across her lips.

"Maker's ass. That woman hops from one boiling pot to the next." Shianni said as she silently motioned for Zara to follow her into her nearby hovel. Zara nodded and wordlessly followed. "I'm thinking that our Warden enjoys getting herself into unbelievably bad situations."

"I somehow doubt that." Zara said as she took a seat at the dining room table. She watched Shianni fill a bowl with homemade slop that looked as if Alistair had made it. Given her lack of food over the past several days, Zara did not care that the food lacked any defining flavor; she greedily devoured bowl after bowl until there was nothing left. This seemed to not only surprised her host, but pleased her to no end. Not even she could stomach her own food in such large quantities.

"Better?" Shianni chuckled as she placed the dirty bowl in a bucket of soapy water on the floor. Zara made a pleased sound and nodded sharply. "So... Maric is back." A low chuckle followed. "That sure is a hard kick in Anora's snooty royal rear end. It's about damn time that happened." She smirked as did Zara. Given recent events Zara felt a hard kick was not the only thing the Queen deserved.

Shianni yawned loudly as she stretched her arms above her head and slowly placed them back down on the table. Zara did not conceal her own tired yawn which soon followed. "I'll show you were Drakon is in the morning." Zara opened her mouth to protest, but her friend held up a silencing hand. "You haven't had much in the way of sleep as it is and, you won't be getting much while you're working on the inside. Now get your ass to bed before I knock you out myself." She ordered pointing to the extra blanket crumpled up on the floor.

Being far too tired to argue Zara merely grunted in response as she raised from the chair and grabbed the blanket. She spread it out over the rotted flooring. Almost as soon as she stretched out across the blanket she fell into a deep slumber until the following afternoon.

By mid-afternoon Zara was awake and dressed in her newest uniform, which had not surprisingly earn her a scoff and a sneer from Shianni. They wasted no time in traveling from the Alienage to Fort Drakon. The walk took them nearly an hour and a half. By the time they arrived Zara's feet hurt from her uncomfortable flat shoes. She missed her horse.

They stopped a distance away from the main gates of the fort. Shianni turned to face Zara. She was concerned, but knew better than to voice them to her friend. "I doubt they'll notice a new elf since we look soooo much alike in their eyes." Shianni said bitterly with a roll of her eyes.

"Very true. But in this case it makes going unnoticed much easier." Zara said cheerfully.

"This is as far as I can take you without raising suspicion. Do you have everything you need?"

Zara nodded down at her hands where she flashed the daggers she kept hidden each dress. Having her daggers on hand made her feel a little safer among the shemlens in general. She had grown to trust her fellow travelers. But trusting guards, nobles and criminals was something she found she simply could not do without good reason.

"Good luck, my friend. Be careful and make sure we get our warden back in one piece." She said and without waiting for a response turned back towards the Alienage, leaving Zara before the towering fort before her which was grey and gloomy.

Assuming her uncontrollable nervous shaking could only help her serving elf persona, Zara cautiously approached the main doorway, where she was stopped by a bored-looking guard who lazily held up his hand. His eyes loomed over her body, assessing if she was a threat. Only when the guard returned his sword to his sheath was Zara finally able to breathe a quiet sigh of relief.

"What do you want knife-ears?" The guard yawned loudly. Resisting the urge to draw her daggers and plunge it deeply into this stupid shem's neck was harder than she thought it would be. Instead, Zara smiled impishly, while rubbing her hands together in order to establish a nervous tick of sorts.

She meekly cleared her throat before speaking in the softest tone she could muster. "W...well Ser." She replied sweetly. "I heard a rumor around town that there is always a need of servants here." She batted her eyelashes at the soldier. The man shrugged and opened the main gates for her.

"And?" He inquired dully.

"I was wondering if any help was needed."

The guard eyes wandered slowly down Zara's body, taking in and memorizing her every slender curve of her salacious frame . Judging by the lopsided smirk and lust in his eyes, he was pleased with what he saw. It made Zara want to vomit profusely. Instead, she forced herself to shyly look down at the ground.

"See if the chantry could use a serving elf. If not I know the cook is always in need of some help. The chantry will be on your right. Neither pays well. But for your lot I'm sure you'll take anything offered." He said with a sneer. Holding back a sneer of her own Zara forced herself to smiled and nod in thanks. She moved quickly through the open doors before the ass of a guard could change his mind.

"Asshole." Her mind hissed. The urge to look over her shoulder and shoot the guard a nasty glare was strong, but it would accomplish nothing other than raise his suspicions again. Her anger soon gave way to a sense of achievement, getting inside the prison proved to be far easier than she ever had imagined. Now came the hard part of finding out where Warden Cousland was being kept. Given the size of the prison searching would take far too long. No. She would need to be quick about earning the trust from a fellow servant or sweet talk a guard in order to easily locate Elissa.

The Chantry was easy enough to find. Looking around Zara was rather surprised to see how crowded it was. Everyone was dressed like Mother Hannah, and no one looked especially thrilled to be here. The second thing she noticed was how displeased almost every woman in the room looked. She found it strange, but ignored it for the time being as she set out to find someone who could tell her if they were looking for help.

Zara was told they had no need for a serving elf. After a brief and insincere apology, Zara was asked if she would like to pay her respects to the maker; she almost told the chantry fairy where she could stick her respects. That was, until she happened to spot a rather sad looking mother Hannah kneeling on the floor before a statue of Andraste. How unexpectedly lucky she was today. A smug smile formed on Zara's lips. The elf was quick to regain her composure before her reaction was noticed by the woman standing beside her.

"Nothing would give me more pleasure. Thank you..." She paused a moment in order to remember what the hell the woman was. All of their uniforms were far too confusing. She noticed Mother Hannah was wearing the same outfit, which was helpful in narrowing down her options. "Mother." Zara stated sweetly followed by a low bow of her head as she excused herself.

Walking calmly instead of running towards the left hand corner of the room was harder than she thought given her excitement, yet she managed to keep her emotions in check and stay in her meek character. She knelt beside mother Hannah, placed her hands together and make it look as if she were praying.

"It's good to see a familiar face." Mother Hannah muttered under her breath so not to be heard by those around them.

"Have they done anything to you? Are you hurt in any way?" Zara muttered. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the Mother shake her head slightly. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"They brought me here as soon as we arrived and have not bothered me since."

"Do you have any idea where they might be keeping Warden Cousland?"

Again the Mother shook her head.

"I've been listening closely for any rumors of her whereabouts. I have heard none. Although; I did hear screaming last night coming from the cells down below. The mother here assures me it is a normal late night sound, and I will grow accustomed to such sounds after a time." Mother Hannah frowned and shuddered slightly. "I pray to Andraste I never think such sounds are normal"

"Can't you leave anytime you want? It's not as if you're under arrest as well."

Mother Hannah sighed softly. "My extended stay has been encouraged. They assure me I'm here for my own protection." At this Zara snorted. Mother Hannah smirked as she had done the very same thing when the Chantry mother had passed on the message from the Queen. "I can somewhat see their point as I have no experience with a sword, and the roads from here back to Redcliffe are indeed dangerous paths."

"I'll think up a way to get the three of us out." Zara said before she could stop herself.

"Of that I have no doubt child." Feeling there was nothing left to be said Zara moved to stand. Mother Hannah rested her hand on Zara's shoulder. Zara went back down to her knees. "I am in position of some news I know both Maric and the Commander would be rather interested in hearing. I assume you will be in contact with them at some point during your lovely stay here." Zara's brow shot up curiously as she nodded.

"The both of them want daily reports." She whispered back.

"Did you notice how crowded it was?"

"It's rather hard not to notice." Zara shot a quick glance over her shoulder and frowned. There was a sea of chantry mothers in every which direction.

"In this room is nearly every Chantry mother from every major city in Ferelden. The Drakon Mother tells us we're here for our own safety by order of the queen. No one has questioned why we have all been brought here at once, yet."

A sudden thought dawned on Zara as the impact of what Mother Hannah was telling her began to process. She closed her eyes, and dropped her head into her hands. "So... even if they travel to another chantry, there's no way they'll be able to find anyone to take your place at the Landsmeet?" She had no idea why this news was so surprising. She assumed the devious and underhanded queen could do nothing more to shock her. Yet here she was completely caught by surprise.

"Correct." Mother Hannah said coolly. Zara rolled her eyes and heaved a shaky sigh. She was going to have to think of a way to get at least Mother Hannah out of her within a week. No pressure or anything.

'I though the King's law had no bearing over the chantry?" Zara was unable to hide her surprise at the Ferelden knowledge she had somehow retained from one of Valendrian's many long-winded history lessons.

Mother Hannah half smirked in amusement at Zara's confusion. "I suppose someone conveniently forgot to remind the queen of that small fact of life. All believe the queen, which has made causing some doubt among my colleagues rather difficult. I shall keep trying."

The elf nodded. "Thank you mother. I'll let the commander know as soon as possible." Zara said while rising to her feet.

Making it through the sea of Mothers without receiving an ear full of either how unbearably crowded the room had become or, how wonderful both the Maker and Andraste are was proving to be an impossible task. Never had she been so glad to make it out of a room in all of her short years. All that Maker this, and Maker that talk was getting on her last nerve. Leaning against a nearby wall, Zara closed her eyes and took a moment to absorb all of the information she had just received.

"Shit." She muttered as she pushed herself away from the wall. 'Why is everything with these fucking shems so fucking complicated." With that she entered the kitchen.

Zara was in luck. The cooks were in great need of a serving elf. Her job would be to bring the soldiers their daily food and ale. She was to use any means necessary to earn their trust. ANY. It was the very thought of seducing these worthless oafs that made her want to vomit. Sadly, sometimes missions come with a price. This was a big one. Silently she apologized profusely to Anders, hoping he would understand that's all this was. A job.

* * *

**Meanwhile...That same morning in the Soldier's Peak dining room**

"That is a really stupid idea." Alistair groaned in disgust as rejected Nathaniel's latest idea of pleading with the queen for Elissa's release. Everyone around the dining room table groaned in frustration. "The woman has no soul. How can you plead with something that possesses no soul?"

"If all of our ideas are so very horrible why don't you come up with one yourself." Maric hissed acidly. Ever so slowly, Alistair turned towards Mairc and glared coldly. In turn Maric winked and grinned. The tension between the two men made the other in the room vastly uncomfortable, yet, at the same time each of them found the scene intriguing.

Alistair hardly wanted to admit he had nothing in mind. Especially after having made such a fuss over how horrible all the other ideas had been. So, he blurted out the first excuse that popped into his tired brain. "I was up all night researching the law. I was hoping some rested minds would be of some use here." Alistair hardly needed to look about the room know they were all glaring daggers. "Glare all you want. Just think of something useful while doing it." He thought to himself bitterly.

Maric's eyes narrowed as well. This was becoming ridiculous and offensive. "And how is it anyone fault but yours that you couldn't sleep?" Maric shot back.

"I think we all need to calm ourselves. Perhaps we should wait to hear from Zara before we act." Leliana suggested.

"In fact," said Zevran as he eagerly stood from his chair. "I believe I shall leave for Denerim at this very moment. Wouldn't want to miss our lovely little servant waiting in the streets now would we?"

There was something in the way Maric and Alistair glared at one another, which kept him from leaving. Standing next to the double door he watched the two with amused interest as he always did when they traded verbal assaults. Apparently he was the only one amongst them who found their spat amusing, while the others sitting around the table were visibly tense. Each was ready to spring into action and separate the two if need be.

"I wouldn't need to be up all night studying if it weren't for you, old man." Alistair sneered.

"Here comes the childish blame right on cue! I'm so tired of this Alistair. There is much to be done and everyone but you seems to be doing their part. All you can seem to accomplish is living in the past, blaming me for all of your own mistakes, taking your anger out on everyone else and wallowing in self pity." There was a collective gasp from nearly everyone in the room. Even Alistair's eyes widened momentarily in surprise before transitioning back to his usual venomous glare.

"If you're going to continue to blame me for your life's problems then do so silently. And stop taking it out on everyone else as well. I suggest you start acting more like a commander and drop the spoiled child act, If not, you know exactly which direction takes you to Orlais." He knew how hurtful his last comment had been. He could see the surprise in Alistair's eyes. Maric merely wanted to show him bringing up one's faults constantly was unnecessary.

Anger flared within Alistair's eyes, every bone in his body tensed as he stood and kicked his chair away. Before the chair could even hit the floor both Nathaniel and Anders had jumped from their own chairs, each man took hold of one of Alistair's arms attempting to hold him back. Alistair had every intention of stalking across the room and punching him in the face. Again. He knew not if it was Maric's cool expression or his men holding him back, he was still furious, but he decided hurting his hand again wasn't worth his time.

Shrugging his men off, he shot Maric one more furious glare before he wordlessly stalked out of the dining room. There were light footsteps following him down the hall. He did his best to ignore Leliana's footsteps and pleas to stop, which proved to be successful had she not grabbed his arm with a strength that surprised him.

Turning to face her, Alistair was fully prepared to yell at the bold bard. Before he could get a out a single word her open palm came down hard across his face, leaving a red mark across his cheek in its wake. Alistair's own hand flew up to his cheek, uselessly to his covering stinging red mark it had left. Looking down at the furious bard, Alistair could not hide his surprise.

"Maric's right you know. You are being very childish, thinking of your own suffering and not caring enough to consider the feelings of those around you." She yelled not caring who heard. "We are all trying our best to help Maric win this Landsmeet, not only to help Ferelden, but right now he's the best chance Elissa has of being released from prison."

"I..."

"No. You will stand there and listen." She lowered her voice, but her tone was no less frightening. "We all know you are upset about losing Elissa. We all are upset. Obviously you are too blinded by your own self pity to notice, if you can't see that. And if you can't take charge of the situation as a leader should and leave your petty differences behind, then Maric's right. You should do what you do best when a situation isn't to your liking. Orlais could always use another pitiful drunk wandering its streets."

After speaking her peace Leliana turned on her heels, stalking back towards the dining hall, leaving a stunned Alistair staring after her.

* * *

**Fort Drakon- The lower levels**

With the hint of daylight shining through Elissa's small cell window, Howe's monsters finally took their leave. As she was now finally conscious, Elissa waited until she could hear them shutting and locking the door, and their chuckles disappear into the hallway before she sat up. Using her good hand, Elissa carefully pushed herself from the floor and with great effort, walked across the room, towards the doorway. This way if they came back, she would be able to hear the click of their boots before they ever reached her door.

Every footstep, every breath sent her broken and useless hand into a frenzy of pain so intense she screamed.

She slid her back against the door and slowly inched her way down to the ground. Now that her captors were all but gone for the day Elissa began to sob.

One look at her mangled and unusable left hand made Elissa's stomach churn. Quickly turning her head away from the sight, she vomited.

All of her fingers were twisting in directions no limb should ever be able to bend. She could feel every broken bone in her hand and the upper half of her arm, some sharper bones were poking out of her flesh. At least two of her fingers were being held together only by thin pieces of skin.

"Hey there," came a muffled voice from somewhere outside the hallway. "It would be rather stupid of me to ask if you are alright, wouldn't it?"

Elissa couldn't help but chuckle a bit through her loud sobs. "A...are you a guard?" She asked through her shaky sobs.

Through the small window came a muffled laugh. "Oh Maker no. I'm here just as you are. Though the night guards seem to have a thing for you in particular. Bloody bastards are downright soulless, aren't they?"

"Yes," she muttered.

"I'd tell you my name, but names are rather unimportant down here." He called back brightly. Elissa found herself smiling.

Her tears were slowly subsiding, yet the pain in her hand remained, as there would be no mage sent to heal the blasted thing, it would continue to throb until all of the nerves in her hand died. Who knew how long that would take. For the sake of her sanity and pain threshold, she hoped it wouldn't be too much longer.

"Since you believe names are unimportant, would you mind my asking why you're down here?" She bellowed.

"Not at all." He replied cheerfully. "They say I killed my business partner in order to gain control over our funds, and to get ourselves out of the debt he put us in with the merchant's guild. I assure you, dear lady, they are all lies. Arresting me merely gives the local authorities less work to do." A bit of bitterness had entered into his voice by the end. Elissa had seen enough run-ins with the locals and Anora's lazy soldiers to know that he was most likely speaking the truth

"Why would killing him help with his debt problem? Wouldn't his demise only make it worse?" She yelled back.

"Exactly!" He yelled excitedly. "Yes. We were having money problems, but it wasn't anyone's fault we weren't making any money. We had just opened up our shop. We both knew it would take time for our business to make any sort of profit."

"I believe you."

"You do?" He sounded genuinely surprised. "Well thank you. It's a shame you aren't Queen then. You'd make a better judge of character." He heaved a loud and heavy sigh. "My partner and I traveled a long way to open this business. He wasn't just my business partner, but a friend as well. He was a good man who did not deserve his fate." He paused to clear his throat. "Enough about me. What brings you here?"

"Treason." Elissa said simply.

"Is that all? With the way Howe's men have been treating you, I assumed you tried to assassinate the ice queen."

"They don't treat everyone in the lower levels like this?"

"Oh Maker no. Don't get me wrong, they do torture all of us lower levelers. It's how they get their jollies. Thank that bloody bastard Howe for that," he sneered. "They just aren't quite as...how shall I say...vicious in their methods. I saw them come in with a maul." His tone changed from bitter to sympathetic "Judging by your screams I put it together what was on their minds. I'm sorry I couldn't help. I tried distracting them, but they were determined."

"For that I thank you." She smiled. He hated Howe. That in itself was oddly comforting. "So where did you and your business partner come from?" She asked desperate to keep her new friend talking. The more they spoke the easier ignoring her arm became.

"Orlais. I'm originally from here, but I moved to Val Foret before the blight got itself into full swing." He paused to make a disgusted noise. "Turns out my idea of opening a shop in Val Foret was neither original or well planned out."

Elissa continued listened to her new friend's tales of Orlais and his business adventures. Soon they were both laughing and joking, something Elissa never thought she would be able to do in a prison of all things. Sadly night came too soon and with it came the return of the night Guardsmen who were drunk and ready to make their warden pet scream for them once again


	15. Schemes and things

**A/N: My muse for this story is back. There isn't much to say about this chapter other than hopefully I resolved one issue here, so now these characters can move on and quit being a pain in my ass. **

**Thanks to Jinx1983 for her wonderful beta skillz! If there is anyone here who hasn't read little Jinxycat's story I suggest you hop to! "World spins madly on" is a beautifully written fic. **

**A special thanks goes out to OnasiMagic. Your wonderful reviews inspired me and gave me the ass I needed to start up this fic again. Thank you so much.**

**Thanks to all of you who read, review and favorite this story of mine!**

* * *

**Royal Palace**

The hallway leading to the Queen's private chambers was seemingly never-ending, dark and unbelievably scary. Bryce was determined to see his mother and demand an explanation as to why she has been avoiding him for weeks. There had been days she had left him with his nannies, but she had never let him be for weeks at a time. Something was very wrong and Bryce aimed to find out what that something may be. First he needed to get past the dark hallway. Sadly, for him, this task proved to be easier said than done.

Hugging the left side wall with his small body, Bryce inched his way ever so slowly towards his mother's room. He found himself jumping and gasping at every sound; making the trip that much longer. "I am a bwave Mabawi." He whispered repeatedly. Hoping at some point the words Elissa told him to repeat whenever he became scared would ring true to himself. So far they were having no effect. Yet; he continued whispering the words aloud.

Unsure exactly which room was his mother's Bryce carefully cracked open each door he came across. Only after many doors were opened did he found his mother's private chamber door to be the second to last door on the floor. He made a mental note even though he doubted it would stick in his memory.

Hearing more than his mother's voice on the other side of the door, he quietly cracked open her door in order to better hear what was being said.

Bryce immediately recognized the other voice to be that of his mother's creepy adviser Tatum. Bryce sneered at the very thought of that horrid man.

There were so many creep things about his mother's adviser. He's old, balding, had a huge nasty scar running across his nose. He also has only one eye. It was the lack of a right eye ball that scared Bryce to tears. He hated Tatum. This was something the adviser was completely aware of and always seemed to draw pleasure from making the young Prince cry. It's why he remained so quiet while standing just outside the door. He didn't want Tatum's cruel attention.

"The nobles have arrived sooner than we originally anticipated."

Bryce heard his mother chuckle softly. "Did we not anticipate that happening?" Now Tatum chuckled. It was a sound that sent involuntary shivers down Bryce's spine.

"Indeed we did, my queen. Claim to be a dead king and all of the nobles interests are peeked."

"One could hardly blame them for being curious. It's not every day someone makes such a claim." Anora stated. A hint of amusement in her voice. "Have all of the preparations been made?"

"Of course. The Revered Mothers have been gathered and are currently keeping to the chantry in Drakon. They will be sent to Kirkwall in the coming days." Tatum said. Bryce did not need to see the man to know he was smiling.

"Excellent." Anora said.

Bryce smiled. It had been so long since he had heard his mother happy. He had no idea what was being said, or why she was so happy, but it was nice to hear again.

"And what of our prisoner?"

"I have not been to see her, but I hear Warden Cousland is in...capable hands."

Why did that last name sound so familiar? Bryce searched his mind for the answer but came up with nothing.

"Of that I have no doubt." Anora chuckled softly. There was a rustling, Bryce guessed his mother seated herself in her favorite chair near the end of her bed. "What of Bryce? Has he given any indication of knowing anything that is happening?"

Bryce perked at his name being said.

"None. According to his nannies he asks after you nearly every day. I believe it would be best if you make time to see him before he and Warden Cousland are taken to Weisshaupt." Tatum stated calmly.

"Huh? Sent away? Why?" Bryce thought to himself. Was it something he did? Something he said?

"I suppose your right." Anora sighed. "I really am fond of him."

"If you don't mind my asking, why are you sending him with Elissa?"

Bryce's heart raced. He made the connection between the last name. Now he was really confused. What was going on? He wished he were older so he could understand what they were saying, and understand why it sounded so bad.

"Have you not noticed how close they are? It hurts her. In turn this hurts Alistair as well. I'll make sure Maric receives word at some point during the Landsmeet. There , in front of all of the nobles of Ferelden, he'll hear of the whereabouts of his new favorite pet and only grandson. Sadly, both are beyond his reach. I'm hoping he'll be far too depressed to do much of anything." There was a sense of satisfaction in Anora's voice.

Bryce still had no idea what this all meant.

"What if it just leaves him angry and vengeful."

"That would be even better. Were that to happen, he comes off as a tyrant and unstable. Surely no one would vote for such a person to rule." Anora said with great satisfaction.

"You become more clever by the day my queen." Tatum said. "Will you be visiting Drakon after your visit with the young prince."

"No. I believe I shall save that visit for another time." Anora said. "Mail the letter to Weisshaupt when you get a free moment. There is no rush. "

Not giving a second thought to closing the door, nor to the dark and frightening hallway, Bryce ran away back the way he had come as fast as his tiny legs could carry him. He had no idea what had been said, but he went with his instinct and that told him this was bad news. He needed to get to Eli. Fast.

There would be a food caravan leaving from the Palace to Drakon. Bryce knew this because the driver would give him a piece of chocolate for helping him load supplies. He would sneak onto the van before it left. He knew his small size would only help him in this situation. He just hoped that he could retain and remember everything he had heard tonight so he could tell Eli or anyone who may already be trying to help her.

For the first time in his short three years he actually felt brave. He hoped he would still be feeling as brave come morning.

* * *

**Soldiers Peak**

Taking a very painful half an hour to reflect on his own actions over the past week, a much calmer Alistair decided it was time to stop pacing the bridge, and get his arse back to the meeting. He knew they would be waiting for his return in the dining room.

Both Maric and Leliana were standing outside the closed dining room doom, speaking softly to one another. Both quieted as they noticed Alistair's approach down the hallway.

Alistair inwardly groaned, but continued walking towards them. Leliana looked...something. Remorseful? Embarrassed? Alistair couldn't decide what exactly it was, so decided upon guilt.

Upon his approach both Leliana and Maric opened their mouths to speak. Alistair held up his hand and shook his head.

He looked directly into Leliana's eyes as he spoke. He inwardly hoped he looked stern and commanding, but somewhat doubting it came across as such."After much thought and deliberation," He paused. Deliberation? Alistair decided at that moment reading too many books on Ferelden laws was a bad thing. "I know you're right. I've been a complete arse this past week. For that I am sorry."

"No. No." Leliana said. Her head hanging low. "I'm sorry. We all know you've been under a great deal of stress lately with everything that's been going on, and the changes over the last several months."

Alistair shrugged. "There is still no reason for me to be taking it out on all of you." Alistair's brow arched curiously at Leliana. The young bard blushed, as if she knew what he was about to say. "Slapping me was a bit over the top. Don't you think?"

"Sorry about that." She mumbled, looking down at her feet.

Alistair nodded. "Tell everyone, I'll be joining them in a minute."

Not wanting to stay for the conversation which was about to take place, Leliana nodded and scurried into the dining room.

Alistair turned to Maric, his gaze as hard as his father's. "With so many short comings of your own, it really pisses me off when you point out mine; as if yours aren't as bad."

Maric opened his mouth to argue. However; the stern gaze he was receiving from Alistair told him it would be best to let the lad speak. He snapped his mouth shut and waited for Alistair to continue.

"You speak of me living in the past. And I'll admit at times I do. But don't speak as if you aren't doing the very same thing? Aren't you the one here who wants to make up for abandoning your duty as King? What makes you believe your ready for the job now?"

"I was young and thought I knew everything better than anyone else." Maric said defensibly. It sounded like an excuse even to himself.

"Now that you're older do you think that's changed?"

"No. Now that I'm older and am convinced I know better than anyone else." Maric smirked. Much to his surprise Alistair smirked and chuckled.

"Yes. I've only spent a week with you but that flaw is abundantly clear." Alistair rolled his eyes. "What I'm trying to say is; I'll stop treating you like the enemy. But if you ever bring up Orlais like that again, your left eye is going to be as black as your right."

Maric nodded. "Understood."

"Temporary truce?" Alistair held out his hand to Maric, who eyed his hand for a moment before clasping it firmly in his own.

"Deal."

"Just to be clear. This doesn't make us anything more than two people with a common goal. I still think you're a manipulative and selfish snake."

"That is the kindest thing you've ever said to me." Maric sneered as he held open the door for Alistair, who entered first. A hush fell over the room as the two men entered and took their respective seats far apart from one another.

"Alright everyone." Alistair announced confidently as he looked around the room. "Let's put the rescue ideas on hold for a moment and talk about the Landsmeet. In order to successfully challenge Anora we'll need some proof of her inability to rule."

"She hides her crazy rather well. Finding something like that might be a tad bit difficult." Anders said.

Alistair nodded his head in agreement. "True. We'll have to be just as crafty and clever as she." He turned to Leliana. "Would you be able to dig up some information around Denerim?"

"But of course." She smirks.

Alistair nods once again. "Good." He turns his attention to Nathaniel. "I need you in Gwaren. There must be someone there whom she keeps in close contact with. Search her father's home and anything else you can think to check while your there." Less than happy with his appointed assignment, Nathaniel frowned and nodded. Alistair could hardly blame him, but he needed to check anything and everything before diving into this Landsmeet.

"Good. I'll speak with Zev when he gets back." Alistair switched his attention to Anders. "I'd like you here with me. I still have lots of books to read, and if there is anything to be found I believe four eyes are better than two."

Anders groaned and sighed. "Oh super. How I LOVE to read."

"Would you rather I send you to the Alienage?"

"Yes. Yes I would. Anywhere but the library." Anders pleaded.

Alistair rolled his eyes and nodded. "Fine. Go see if the elves have any information to share. Maric. Your in the library with me."

"Oh thank the Maker." Anders sighed in relief.

Everyone left to do their assigned tasks. Maric was actually happy not to be given a traveling task. He rather enjoyed the thought of reading through law books. He made small talk with Alistair. Much to his surprise Alistair did not ignore him. Perhaps there was hope yet to prove himself a decent human to his only son.

* * *

**Fort Drakon- Lower level dungeons.**

"Bastards." Elissa sneered. She spat in the face of the guardsmen standing before her. Much to his surprise, he jumped back from her and groaned as if he had been hit with a mace.

After nearly a week of stabbings, beatings, and a crushed hand her will had yet to crumble. She knew not if this set back disappointed or thrilled them. She supposed it didn't matter much. She was slowly nearing her breaking point, but they had no way of knowing as much. As far as they were concerned she was stubborn. Sadly this only made her nightly beatings that much worse.

The guard returned only to slap her across her already swollen face. Elissa hardly felt a thing, as her face had yet to heal from the previous night's visit.

"Time do go old chap." Said one of the guards. All five filed out one by one. Each promising they would see her tonight. Elissa hoped they would all fall in to a tub of acid. That was far too kind of a death for them, but painful enough to make it worth wishing for.

"They took it easy on you tonight lass." Yelled the prisoner in the cell next to Elissa's.

"Aye." She croaked. "I keep hoping they'll lose interest."

"You are hoping for far too much then. They enjoy women more than men."

"Oh, super." She sneered.

"Any luck on your anger issue?" He asked. Elissa had been working hard on bringing out her anger, to no avail. She was baffled, as was her friend. He was currently working with her to pinpoint what might be holding her back. She was pleased to hear he was a warrior and trained in such specialized areas. She gladly accepted his help.

"None at all."

She head him sigh. "We'll figure it out soon."

Although it was painful, Elissa smirked. Her face burst into a fit of pain. Why she had done a stupid thing like that was beyond her. "I might not need it. I believe I have their schedule down to where I can plan around them now. If only I could get my hands on a weapon, it would make taking them down that much easier." She sighed.

"How do you plan on even holding a blade with that hand of yours?"

Elissa grinned while as said, "I've trained with both hands, my friend."

"Well, la de da." Elissa giggled. He could make her laugh, which made being trapped in her cell somewhat bearable. "Are you the little multitasking master"

"Jealous?"

"Hardly."

"You're jealous."

"Do you really think you would be able to take them all?"

"I don't know, but I'm willing to try. Anything is better than just sitting here waiting." She said.

"Do you feel like scheming? I'm sure with our collective minds we could come up with a plan to get ourselves out of this lovely place."

"Scheming sounds better than doing nothing."

They worked together on a game plan, which would hopefully lead to their freedom. Each had their doubts, but both were having so much fun coming up with outlandish plans both prisoners thought it best not to rain on the others parade.


	16. Big brave Mabari

**N/A: **In this chapter I wanted Maric and Alistair to reverse roles a little bit. Mairc is frustrated, while Alistair is cool and collected to some extent. Zara on the other hand shows a bit of patience for a change. I'm sure it was against her better judgment.

A huge thanks to **Jinx1983** for her wonderful editing. I don't know what I would do without her help! YOU ROCK!

Thanks to all of you who read, review and favorite this story.

With this chapter we're in the home stretch. At least two chapters to go!

* * *

**Soldiers's Peak**

Maric groaned while stretching his arms up and over his head. "Why the bloody hell would any sane person actually willing write out detailed descriptions of every Ferelden law in existence?" He whined.

"I'm sure they only meant to inform." Alistair stated dully without looking up from his own book. "Not to say picture a once in a while wouldn't be a welcomed change of pace." Alistair yawned.

Frustrated, Alistair slammed his book shut and rubbed his tired eyes with the palm of each hand. Any hope of finding some legal loop hole was quickly diminishing. The law was iron clad when it came to even the smallest act of treason.

Both Alistair and Maric's eyes were sore from reading by candle light nearly half the night. Both men pushed aside the books they had been reading.

"Alright." Alistair sighed. "As much as I hate to say it. I believe we need to place this on hold for now." He gestured towards the pile of untouched books on his desk. The mere thought of cracking open yet another book filled with Ferelden laws was enough to make both men want to scream.

"Is swooping upon the dungeons of Drakon and rescuing the lass still out of the question?"

"Swooping is an option, but it's going to land whom ever is in Drakon as well." Alistair said. Followed by a heavy and shaky sigh. He leaned back in his chair and ran his hands across his face in an attempt to wake himself up. If there was anything beyond exhausted he was defiantly that. The logical part of him told him this problem would still be here in the morning, while the ambitious voice in his brain told him there were too many things to do and each of them had to be done right now. Alistair was beginning to think ignoring the voice was the wisest of options at this point in the game.

Maric half smiled sympathetically at Alistair. He knew exactly how the lad felt as he had felt the very same thing during the war. So much to do and so little time in which to accomplish everything that needed to be done. Sleep, while nice, was usually in the back of an ever spinning mind.

"The Landsmeet." Alistair said.

"Yes?" Maric raised a curious brow. "What about it?"

"The nobles are going to think your are dwarf shit crazy."

Maric shrugged. "Tis nothing new."

"The blasted thing so close and without Mother Hannah to speak on your behalf, this is going to make things more difficult." Alistair looked thoughtfully at Maric for a moment. "I'm sure the First-Enchanter would help us, but there is no way we can make it to the tower and back before the Landsmeet were to start."

"The Circle Mages were in Redcliffe within a day and a half." Although the thought of more hard riding was hardly appealing, desperate times called for desperate measures. These were desperate times indeed.

Alistair nodded firmly and stood up from his chair. He crossed the small room, stopping at the door. Turning towards Maric who remained in his chair, Alistair motioned him to follow. "Since this was your idea, I believe it's only fair you should come with me."

"Fine." Maric grumbled as he pushed himself up from his chair. His bones painfully creak as he starts towards the door. Propped his hip against the large wood desk as he waited for the tingling sensation in his legs to subside. In order to buy some time and get blood flowing through his legs again, he brought up a valid point. "Won't we still need a Revered Mother to vouch for the First-Enchanter."

"Oh yeah. I forgot about that." Alistair stopped just outside of his study door. It didn't take him long to come up with a solution. " Highever and Amaranthine are only hours away. Both have a chantry. Finding a Revered Mother should be no problem."

"It is funny you should say that, Alistair." Zevran said as he calmly walked down the hallway. "Not a laughable funny. Actually it's not really funny at all."

"What did Zara have to say?" Alistair asked. He was anxious to hear if there was any news of Elissa. He hoped there was at least something to ease his unbelievably worried mind.

"The Queen has made sure that you aren't going to find a preachy mother anywhere in Ferelden. Unless you know where to look that is."

Zevran looked from Maric to Alistair. Both men wore a look of confusion, then anger, then back to confusion again. Had the situation not been so very dire Zevran would have at least chuckled. Doing so now would just be wrong.

"According to Zara they are being kept in Drakon for...their own safety." Both Maric and Alistair both gave Zevran an odd expression. Zev shrugged. "I have a feeling no one but the Queen understands what they are being protected from."

"Keeping all of the Revered Mothers locked away just so we can't prove our case? That is rather unscrupulous." Alistair stated thoughtfully. He had to give Anora credit. She had managed to outsmart them at every turn.

"Scruples have nothing to do with politics and the fight for power. My friend." Zevran said. The elf looked in Maric's direction and smirked. Maric simply shrugged and nodded in agreement. He couldn't argue with the truth.

"Was there anything else?" Alistair asked.

Zevran's shoulders slumped slightly. "There was no news of Elissa's whereabouts. Zara wanted me to assure you that she is doing everything in her power to locate her as quickly as possible."

Holding out hope of news on her first day was silly, but Alistair was still hopeful there would be something he could go on. He sighed and nodded. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes." Zevran nodded shortly. His features turning unusually grim as he spoke to Alistair. "If the rumor Zara heard was true, I'm sure you'll be receiving a notice tomorrow. It's said since the nobles have taken such a short time to gather, the Queen believes it best to move up the date of the Landsmeet."

"How soon?" Maric demanded.

"Two days."

Maric's heart dropped into his stomach. Causing an seemingly endless amount of knots to appear within his stomach. His hands shook as he ran his finger tips through his longish gray hair "Are you sure it's only two days?"

Zevran nodded. "Yes. Zara received her information from several of the Queen's guards stationed at Drakon."

"How did she...Why would the Queen's own..." Alistair stumbled over his words. "Best not to think on how she obtained that information." He grumbled blushing hard. "This at least gives us some time to prepare."

"Prepare? Prepare for what exactly? We lack anything. I doubt anyone will come back with anything on the crazy woman." Maric screeched frantically.

Alistair eyed the old man curiously. How odd. It was normally the other way around. He was usually the emotional mess, while the old man was calm as could be. "I happen to believe in unexpected miracles."

"What if fate isn't that kind?" Maric asked sarcastically.

"Then swooping will commence, which shall be followed by a unpleasant boat trip to the Free Marches."

"Running away?" Zevran tisked. "That hardly seems like you."

Smirking, Alistair pointed towards the door. "Tower."

"You have such a way with words Alistair. Now I know what our Warden sees in you." Chuckling, Zevran threw a wave over his shoulder as he walked down the hallway.

"Why are you sending him to the tower?"

"Why not. All we have at our disposal now is the First-Enchanter. We may as well use that to our advantage, since it's the only one we have at the moment."

"Well. Aren't you just full of optimism." Maric sneered. The discouraged man stalked towards his room. Alistair couldn't help but grin as he watched him leave.

"Even the confident King can be rattled. I find that rather refreshing." A smirking Alistair walked outside into the night time air. Yet again, he was far too anxious to sleep. Instead of locking himself away in his study like the recluse he had made himself out to be, he decided a walk was in order, followed by a much needed late night sparring session.

* * *

**Fort Drakon**

As the servants scrambled to prepare the day shifts morning meal, Zara took advantage of the morning chaos to sneak away and search the large prison for any signs of Elissa. No one would notice a meek and frightened looking elf wandering about. For Zara, coming across as weak took some massive acting skills. It was hard bowing repeatedly while nervously apologizing for existing in this stupid shem's space.

Slipping out of the kitchen Zara made her way towards the entrance. After a brief and uninformative talk with Mother Hannah, Zara decided to explore the fort in hopes of finding the any dungeon.

Being she was new, the lead cook wouldn't let her deliver any food to the prisoners above or below. Delivering to the prisoners would only happen once a servant was serious about serving the fort. Zara decided she couldn't wait that long. With the Landsmeet so close and the Commander so moody; waiting was hardly an option.

Zara found avoiding the few guards on duty to be a breeze. Not that there was any real reason to do so, not until she neared the stares leading to either the lower or higher level dungeons. Staying well concealed by the poorly lit hallways and massive pillars kept her from anyone's view.

"This place is fricking huge." Zara mumbled. Weaving down the long, endless hallways she managed to find the soldiers armory and weapons room, the guard captain's chambers. Behind the supply room were two sets of stairs, one leading up, the other down. Huddling down in a dark corner behind a large enough barrel to hide her body.

For the next thirty minutes she watched as three guardsmen marched up the stairwell, while three more guardsmen went down the opposite stairwell. Several minutes later two sets of three different guardsmen appeared, looking tired but the three guardsmen coming up from the stairwell leading downwards appeared to be in good spirits with their laughing and joking. Zara decided it was best not to dwell too much on why they might be laughing about and find out where the stairs lead. She had a fairly good idea and it made her heart leap in excitement.

Waiting for the coast to clear completely Zara came out from behind her hiding spot and made her was across the room, towards the two stairwells. She decided she would venture downwards first, since it was far creepier.

Before she could even reach the top step, something bumped into the back of her legs nearly knocking her down. Steadying herself against the wall to her right, she regained her balance.

Making sure she had tears on standby and an excuse she turned to face her assailant. What she saw took her by surprise. Before her stood a little boy, no older than three or four years old, blond hair, blue eyes. His lower lip quivered, his eyes filled with tears and massive amounts of fear.

Zara's own gaze softened. Falling to one knee in order to put the young shem at ease, she smiled. "Hello there. I'm Zara. Who might you be?" She made her voice as soft and comforting as possible. No easy task for her.

Shaking in fear, the young shem eyes darted from Zara to the door over his shoulder. An obvious attempt to plan out an escape route should she try anything.

"I...I'm me." He sounded as if he were about to cry

"Wait. I've seen you before. At the ball a couple weeks ago." Zara's mind tried hard to place the boy. Finally the image and information in her brain connected. "You're Elis...I mean you're Prince Bryce aren't you.?" Zara pried. This appeared to scare him even more. Zara rolled her eyes. "Don't worry squirt. I won't tell anyone your here if you don't tell anyone I'm here."

The boy's shoulders relaxed slightly, but he still eyed her cautiously. He nodded shortly. "Don't tell."

" I already told you I wouldn't." Zara said, still managing to keep her voice soft, while inwardly she was annoyed. Children were hardly her thing. She preferred to have as little contact with the beasts as possible.

"What are you doing here Highness?"

Bryce looked and pointed towards the stairs behind Zara "Wooking."

"Huh?" Zara's brow furrowed in confusion.

Bryce growls and frowns in frustration. "Someone." He places his hands on his hips, expecting this to clear up the message he was trying to convey.

"Good luck with that Highness, but I'm looking for someone." Zara started to push herself off of the ground, when Bryce grabbed a hold of her tattered sleeve. He smiled and vigorously nodded. Zara settled back on to her sore knee.

"Oh...Oh! Is that what you're doing as well? Are you looking for someone?"

Again the young prince nodded. A smile broke out across his face, happy someone was able to break his cryptic child speaking code. "I think we might be looking for the same person."

"Ewwie?"

"Yes. I'm looking for Ellie. My Commander wants me to find her and keep her safe." Zara inwardly groaned. "The fact that I can suddenly understand whatever made up language he's speaking is rather disturbing." Zara thought.

"Nice Conander." Bryce beamed and giggled.

Zara rolled her eyes._ "Damn it. He's kind of adorable."_ She quickly cleared her throat. "Yes. Well. Perhaps you should wait here while I search for her."

"No." Bryce objected sternly. His brow was creased with something Zara guessed to be determination.

"A dungeon is no place for anyone your age, much less a prince of your age." Zara tried her best to be understanding and kind. The set jaw and creased brow yet remained. Nothing short of being tied to a chair would stop him from finding Elissa. This adorable brat was trying her patience

Bryce shook his head. "I have somefhing I needs to say to her."

"Can you tell me. Highness?"

Bryce wearily glanced down at his feet. Unsure how to answer. "I don know."

Zara's hands clinched at her side, but quickly released them before Bryce noticed. Yep, this brat was trying her patience. "I promise to your Maker that I won't tell another living soul aside from Elissa herself."

Bryce looked conflicted as he thought over her promise. Zara gave him the time he needed to think on her offer, which didn't take long. He looked into Zara's face and nodded. He told Zara of the conversation he had overheard between his mother and her adviser. By the time he was done, Zara was positive an hour had gone by, but at least she was able to understand most of what he said.

She cupped her chin with her right hand. Tapping her nose thoughtfully. "Do you mean she's sending you and Elissa to Weisshaupt?" She pried.

"I fhink so." He said.

A plan that would help both Elissa and Maric formed in Zara's mind. "Your Highness." She said softly. "There is a letter to Weisshaupt, yes?" Bryce nodded with enthusiasm. "Do you know where that letter is?"

"Mum's rwoom."

"Is there any way you could sneak in and grab it from her room?"

The young prince's brow furrowed with uncertainty. "Scary."

Zara placed her hand on the boy's shoulder and squeezed softly. "I know it is, but if you brought me the letter I could help."

Bryce glanced sadly down at his feet. "Mum would be mad."

Guilt ripped at Zara's stomach. If this wasn't so damn important she would have let it be, but she needed the letter.

"Neither you or Elissa would be sent away. The both of you would be able to stay here."

Still looking greatly uneasy and after several minutes of uncomfortable silence, Bryce finally nodded his head. Within the few moments of silence, Zara was able to pin point the flaw in her plan.

"You don't know how to read do you?" As she expected Bryce nodded. "Do you know what your mother's royal seal looks like?" Much to her surprise Bryce's face brightened as he nodded.

"Yes. Gowd." Zara assumed he meant gold. "aaand...umm..Fhingys with bea...bea..."

"Beaks?" Zara ventured a guess. Bryce grinned and nodded, thrilled that someone could understand what he was trying to say.

"Good. I need you to look for anything that has your mother's seal on them, and bring them to me. Can you do that?"

"Umkay." He said softly.

"I wouldn't ask you to do this if I didn't know you're brave." Zara smiled at the shock on Bryce's face.

"Me? Bwave?" He squeaked.

"You came here all by yourself. I'd say you're very brave." At this he beamed proudly. "Now I'll need them in the next couple days?" Bryce turned his head in confusion. Inwardly groaning, Zara thought of the best way to simplify. "The papers with your mother's seal." She started. Bryce nodded. "I will need them tomorrow, or the next day."

"Oh! Kay!" He nodded.

"Alright kiddo." She said holding out her hand to the young Prince. He slid his little hand within hers. "Let's go find Elissa and see how she's doing."

Bryce grinned widely and nodded. They disappeared down the stairs and into the lower dungeons.


	17. Setting up nicely

**A/N: A HUGE thanks to my awesome beta Jinx1983 for her hard work in correcting and fixing this chapter. Thank you for reassuring me everything works. Else I'd still be erasing and fixing. **

**This was a hard chapter to write, which is why it took me so damn long to post. Nothing seemed to fit at all. Hopefully the next chapter will come out a little faster. Although I have my doubts as it's a landsmeet chapter. Still not sure how I want that to go. Any suggestions? I'm always up for helpful suggestions from my awesome readers! **

**Thanks to all of you who favorite, read and review this story of mine. It's almost over! Thanks everyone!**

* * *

**Fort Drakon: Lower Dungeon**

Walking hand in hand, Bryce led Zara down the long, wide and surprisingly well lit hallway. There were cells on either side of the hall, each doorway had a small barred cut out so one could look inside of the cell if need be. Since she was somewhat taller, Bryce gave Zara the job of peering into each cell and check for any signs of Elissa. This was something she had planned on doing to begin with, but there was something about a three year old ordering her about that rubbed her the wrong way.

The rooms were less than sanitary; with dried blood caked on the walls and floors, rotting food was left for the rat population to munch on. Zara was slightly surprised but thankful there were no rotting corpses left behind. No doubt there was some other method used to scare the prisoners into submission. The thought of what shems do to one another made Zara sneer before she could stop herself. She was quick to hide her look of disgust before Bryce noticed.

Not that he would have noticed, as he was far too busy pulling her from one side of the hallway to the other.

"Stop pulling." Zara ordered sternly. Bryce continued pulling on her hand as if he hadn't heard her at all, which only annoyed her further. A low, frustrated growl came from her lips as she narrowed her eyes at the insolent child. Coming to a complete stop in the middle of the hallway, Zara ripped her hand from his grasp. Bryce turned to face Zara with pursed lips and eyes narrowed in child like anger.

"Listen short stuff." Zara started sternly. "Let's get one thing straight right now; you aren't in charge here. You are the child, I am the adult, so stop pulling and ordering me around like some kind of...servant. I may be dressed like one, but I'm not. Understood?" A scowling Bryce opened his mouth. Zara had no doubt in her mind it was to argue. Before he could speak they were discovered by a wandering guardsman.

"Aye! What are you doing there?" The guard demanded as he hurried towards them, weapon drawn.

Quick to get herself into character, Zara slumped her shoulders and dropped her eyes to the ground submissively. "E..excuse me Ser Knight." She knew the guards were hardly knights, but they did enjoy being referred as such. This guard was no different. Zara raised her head slightly as the guard puffed out his chest proudly. Quickly, she lowered her gaze to the floor before the guard could see her rolling her eyes. "I'm so glad you came along. I...I found his Highness down here wandering all alone."

The guard turned towards the child at her side. His eyes widening with surprise. "Your Highness! This is not a place for children. I must take you back to the castle at once. Surely the Queen will be sick with worry." The guard reached for Bryce's hand. Bryce quickly side stepped away from the guard, narrowly avoiding his hand.

"No!" Bryce nearly yelled. With his temper flaring, Bryce marched up to the unsuspecting guard, and with as much force as he could gather, he kicked the guard in the shin. The guardsmen yelped more in surprise than pain, but now he was angry. Zara brought up her hand over her mouth in order to cover the satisfied smirk that lay beneath.

"Little shit." He hissed between clenched teeth. Again Bryce narrowly avoided the guards forceful hand. As the guard reached out again Zara saw an opportunity to avoid further actions from any other guards.

She took the guard's hand in mid-air. She turned and looked at Bryce. "Turn around and cover your ears." She ordered calmly. Without question Bryce quickly turned towards the stone wall and covered each ear with his hands. Turning her attention back to the angry guard. She forcefully maneuvered his arm behind his back, using all of her body weight she pinned him against the opposing stone wall. The guard turned his head slightly in time to see Zara unsheathe her hidden dagger. The guard's eyes grew wide with surprise.

"You wouldn't dare kill one of the Queens guards." He protested loudly in hopes of another guard hearing.

Zara thought on his words for a moment before placing her dagger back within the confines of her long sleeve. "No. I suppose I wouldn't." She could feel the guard relax slightly under her grasp. She released the grip she had on his arm.

"Stupid knife-eared bitch." He hissed. Before he could turn the rest of his body she placed one hand just under his chin and the other on the back of his skull. In one forceful, fast and brutal motion she twisted his head to his left. The unmistakable and horrid sound of bones breaking filled Zara's ears. It made her cringe. She let go of his head, the guards body dropped to the ground, twitching like a fish out of water.

She turned to Bryce. Thankfully he was still facing the wall with hands over his ears. Moving quickly, she removed the guard's black and silver armor before removing her own clothing. Unfortunately; the armor was far too big for her slender built. She knew she would simply have to make do.

Not wanting to be discovered, Zara thought it best to hide the body in a nearby cell for the time being, although; the thought of actually touching and moving a dead body was less than thrilling, it needed to be done. She opened the cell door before taking hold of the corpse's shoulder. Dragging the body in heavy armor was challenging. It was hard to get a firm grasp with such bulky gloves, not to mention the freakishly huge helmet.

She dropped his shoulders the moment his feet passed through the doorway. Closing the door behind her, she walked up behind Bryce and placed her heavily armored hand on his small shoulder.

His eyes wide with surprise he eyed his companion.

"Let's go short stuff." She turned on her heels, starting down the hall without waiting to see if Bryce followed, or was even able to keep up. There was no need, as she could hear his giggles and snickers not far behind.

"You wook funny." He giggled.

Zara groaned and rolled her eyes in frustration. "I fucking hate kids." She muttered under her breath.

Bryce continued to giggle behind her back as they followed the passage's twist and turns. It did not take long to find the other guards.

Five of the bloody shems were sitting on the floor playing cards. Zara doubted they were here guarding empty cells, they were keeping watch over someone nearby. She hoped it wasn't Elissa.

Around the corner Bryce hid from the guards, but Zara knew she would need to find some place a little less inconspicuous, in case the guards were to happen by. With little choice she pushed open a cell door and told Bryce to wait inside until she came back. Bryce was less than thrilled with this arrangement and protested her plan. Failing to care about the young Prince's feelings over that of her mission, Zara ignored his hushed protests; closing the door on his incisive whining.

Taking a deep breath she approached the guards. One guard saw her approach, and hurried to inform those around him. They each saluted and stood at attention upon her approach.

"Commander!" They all yelled in union. Zara gulped. At that moment she was thankful she had a helmet on. It concealed her surprise and dread.

"Oh fuck me. I killed the guard Commander?" Zara groaned inwardly. Slowly bringing up her hand to her chest, she mimicked their salute. Clearing her throat, she forced her voice several octaves lower before speaking.

"At ease men!" She ordered. Much to her surprise no one even raise a curious brow. Now her mind raced to think of some reason to keep them out of her way for a while. "Play a hand for me men." Was the best her mind could come up with.

This earned her a look of surprise from all. "Sir?'" Several of the guard turned their heads quizzically.

"I'm guessing this Commander was a bit of a stickler for rules. Not anymore."

"You men work hard day after day. Take a break while I go check on the prisoners." She ordered gruffly in her best Ferelden accent. It took but a moment, but once the men realized they were being given a break. They immediately sat back on the ground and continued with their game.

"Thank you, sir." Each said without looking up from their hands. Zara nodded and continued down the hall.

Walking a fair distance down the hall, Zara was able to hear two people chatting with one another. As she neared the source of the voices, the pit of her stomach began to churn at the sound of Elissa's voice. Why did she have to be in a place like this?

The talking stopped as she neared. The sound of her clunking armor gave her away, but she knew which rooms the voices had come from. She stopped in front of Elissa's cell and peered through the barred window, and gasped before she could stop herself.

Her fellow Warden, the Hero of Ferelden, slayer of an Archdemon; sat in the middle of the cell bloody, mangled and dangerously thin. "Oh no." Her mind cried. "Now the Commander really is going to kill me."

Elissa narrowed her eyes at the unwelcome guest in her doorway. "Come to poke fun at me again Commander?" The Warden sneered in disgust. Zara shook her head.

"Of course not." Zara quickly removed her helmet.

Elissa's eyes grew wide in surprise. "Zara?"

Zara nodded shortly, and cast a glance down the hall to make sure the guardsmen were still occupied. Turning back to Elissa, she told her the condensed version of everything Bryce had said and everything that had happened since she had been gone.

When she was done speaking, Elissa remained silent for a time. Her hard, angry stare sent shivers down Zara's spine. "How dare she bring Bryce into this whole mess. I'll kill her." Her voice was cold and harsh. Again a shiver was sent down Zara's spine.

"I know the Commander said to just observe, but I think getting you out of here as soon as possible is within everyone's best interest."

Elissa shook her head. "No. Keep a keen ear out for rumors among the servants here. I'll find my own way out."

"Are you sure? You don't exactly look as if you can fight your way out."

Elissa smirked. "Positive. Thank you Zara."

Zara felt horrible for leaving Elissa down here, but if it's what she wished then who was she to argue. She promised she would be back soon. Elissa shook her had and said something about it being pointless to do so. She placed her helmet back over her head and left to retrieve Bryce. Now it was dire he find his mother's papers as soon as possible. She hoped the little shit was up to the challenge.

He was excited when she came barring news of Elissa. It was quickly replaced by worry as she told him the papers were needed as soon as possible, but gave him no reason why. It was better he not know the details of how dire Elissa's situation was.

"Tonight? I need you to look for them tonight."

He gulped but nodded. "K."

They walked back through the hall together. She set Bryce up on the food caravan that had brought him here. They agreed to meet in the woods tomorrow at the same time.

Zara watched the caravan leave. She knew he would be successful in gathering the documents she needed. She saw much of his real father in him. Bryce is a boy who fears disappointing those around him. At this point in was a trait that worked in everyone's favor.

* * *

**Soldier's Peak**

A royal messenger came the next morning to deliver a message. Maric tore it open and swore as he read the contents. The rumors Zara had heard were true. Anora was moving up the Landsmeet.

Maric set off for the dinning room where Alistair sat alone with a book on his lap and food on the table in front of him. Maric sat across the table and slid the letter over to Alistair.

Glancing up from his book, he reached across the table, took the letter up in his hand and read. "I hate it when rumors are true and not just rumors." He sighed as he set the letter back down on the table and slid it towards Maric.

"You're awfully calm about all this." Maric raised his brow curiously. Alistair smirked and shrugged.

"I am worried about tomorrow. But, I'm trying to be optimistic for a change. See if it suits me better than worrying constantly."

"This is all moving so fast." Maric sighed as he brought his hands to the back of his neck. Every bone in his body was tense and there was nothing he could do to relax any of them. "It's all getting out of hand."

"What did you expect?" Alistair snorted.

"I didn't expect..." His words trailed under Alistair's harsh stare.

"Your thinking of just giving up. Aren't you?"

"No. Too much is at stake for me to just give up." Which was partially true. He had thought of giving up and just allowing Anora to continue her rule. Too much drama had followed in his arrival. "But I..." he trailed. Unsure how he should finish the thought aloud.

His doubt must have been all over his face. Alistair's continued to stare harshly across the table. "Your just now realizing the consequences of your actions? Elissa being arrested, Anora making life impossible, and having to come up with a plan B in case things go wrong at tomorrow's Landsmeet?"

"No need to remind me. I'm well aware of what's at stake." Maric heaved a heavy sigh and slumped back in his chair. "I'm impulsive."

"Not to mention a master at pointing out the obvious. You'll get no arguments from me on that front." He turned his attention back to his book. "Best go put that impulsiveness to good use and write a moving and motivational speech for tomorrow."

"Want to help me?"

Alistair chuckled and shook his head. "I'm not really good with the feel good speeches. They have to be your words, not the words of someone else."

Knowing his words were all he had left. Maric nodded and pushed himself up from his chair; determined to write the best damn speech in all of Ferelden.

* * *

**Fort Drakon: Lower Dungeon**

Pacing the cell like a caged animal, Elissa's rage came forth like an angry inferno. How dare the Queen bring her son into this mess. After she had promised to care for him and love him as if he were her own. At least now she knew how much a vow from the daughter of a traitor was worth. Just the very thought of Anora filled Elissa was more rage than she ever thought possible.

"You should have asked your friend to bring you a blade." Said her neighbor. Not trusting herself to speak Elissa grunted loudly in response, but mentally kicked herself for not thinking to ask.

As if he could sense the anger emanating from her cell nothing else was said. Allowing her to stew in her own rage and anger.

Slowing to a cautious walk and finally coming to a stop in the middle of the room, Elissa looked around her cell. The air around her had somehow changed. It smelled heavily of fire and lyrium, making it hard for her to breath without choking.

"Oh, now that is delicious." Groaned a pleased disembodied male voice. Elissa looked about the room. "Such delicious rage. Coming from a human no less. I do find that surprising."

"I'm so honored to have impressed a demon of your...implacable taste." Elissa sneered. The disembodied voice laughed. "I wasn't aware rage demons were capable of holding a conversations." Again, chuckling filled the room.

"I am different from my kin."

"I'm sure you are." Elissa muttered. Her mind flashed back to the Architect and his claims to be different from his kind. She was still waiting for that bad decision to come back and bite her in the ass.

The form of a rage demon came up from the floor and appeared before her. It was like any other rage demon she had ever seen. Unfeeling red eyes, flaming physique. Whatever made this demon different was purely in the way it's mind worked.

"I'm not going to make any deals with you, so you can save your breath. Actually I'm not even sure why you're here. I thought demons were drawn to mages." The demon chuckled as if she had told the words funniest joke.

"We are drawn to mages, this much is true. But if we limited ourselves to mages alone we would have died out long ago."

Elissa snorted. "Pity."

The demon ignored her snarky comment. "Every human possess the very same emotions. mages have that extra...something along with such delectable emotions."

"Lyrium." Elissa stated dryly.

"Yes. Although I personally enjoy raw Lyrium, I do occasionally enjoy the rage of a mage mixed with processed Lyrium."

"So why are you here?" She was becoming impatient. Damn rage demons talk almost as much as pride demons do.

"Your rage is overwhelming. I fought many of my kind to be the one to find you. I can give you what you seek, but I..."

"You can stop right there." Elissa sighed. "It's not going to happen."

"You would risk the life of the boy for your morals? Selfishness is almost as delicious as rage." It slowly licked it's lips with something resembling a tongue. Elissa felt as if she had been hit with the ultimate guilt trip. By a demon no less. It suddenly looked up at the door. "Someone comes for you. I will come to you later tonight. You will give me your answer then." It said before fading away into the floor.

"Super. Thank the Maker my life isn't any more complicated in prison than it is in the real world." Elissa heaved a shaky sigh. Before she could contemplate how she would be able to kill the rage demon after she refused it's offer, the door to her cell swung open.

Two of the daytime guards stood in the cell doorway with a mangy looking dog at their side. She would have questioned why the ever elusive daytime guards would bother to pay her a visit, however; her eyes were automatically drawn to the dog. There was nothing remarkable about the dog itself as it appeared to be an every day stray one would see in an alleyway. It was the familiar yellow eyes which drew her attention and made her heart skip an excited beat or two.

Wordlessly the guards left, while the dog remained in the door. Never taking it's attention away from Elissa.

A smirk spread across Elissa's lips. "That's some trick."

The dog made a unimpressed snorting sound.

"I know, I know. You don't live to impress me." Elissa mocked. Slowly the dog took on a different shape all together.

"Tis that oaf of a man you sleep with at night I do not live to impress."

The urge to channel Alistair was great, somehow Elissa resisted the urge.

"Not that I don't appreciate the help Morrigan, but what the Maker's balls are you doing here? How did you even know where I was?"

"It is not obvious I'm here to rescue you? My but you Wardens are indeed a particularly slow breed." Morrigan said. "You're being here is all anyone in Denerim speaks of. The outrage your arrest has inspired is truly impressive." The Witch bent down and reached into her boots, pulling out two daggers Elissa knew to be her own. Morrigan took one step into the room and stopped.

"There is something here. Watching you." She eyed the room suspiciously.

"Oh yes. A rage demon. I was a little...upset about some news I received earlier. I guess I my rage spoke a little too loudly."

Morrigan cocked a curious brow ."Interesting." She mused. "Let us worry about demons later. For now we must focus on your release." She handed Elissa one dagger, as that was all she could use.

"Right now?"

"In broad daylight? Now that would be an interesting escape plan." Morrigan chuckled. "No, my friend. I believe the darkness of night will help you more than the light of day. I merely thought your weapon might make yours and whomever you choose to take with you far easier."

"Thank you Morrigan. This is the second time you've helped me. I don't know how I can repay you."

"This is what friends do is it not?" Morrigan's harsh features softened momentarily. Elissa nodded and they returned. She couldn't help but think Morrigan had some part of a bigger plan in the working here, but decided it best not to question a rescuing witch and her impulsive decisions.

"Again. Thank you Morrigan. This means a lot to me. I will never forget it."

"I shall never let you." She smiled. What an oddly rare day indeed. A talking rage demon and a Morrigan smiling.

Morrgian turned to leave the room then stopped. Sighing, she turned back to Elissa. "The damnable demon isn't going to leave you alone until you give it what it wants." Without warning the demon appeared. Angry. Livid. Before it could do any harm to either woman, Morrigan cast a hexing spell while Elissa plunged a dagger deep into it's would-be heart.

"I do miss fighting along side you my friends." She chuckled. "Be safe. Travel well, and vote wisely." She said. Quickly she shut the door and disappeared before Elissa could question her further.

"Odd. The Maker had a sense of humor when he made that one." Elissa chuckled as she slid one dagger into her right hand sleeve. She couldn't believe the turn in her luck. Freedom was so close she could taste it. While she preferred second chances to revenge, this was a speical case. Anora would pay for lying to her.


	18. Escape

**A/N: FINALLY! Damn you mix of writers block and work! **

**A huge thanks to my totally awesome and wonderful beta Jinx1983. Who takes the time out of her own story writing to help me make mine better. Thank you! **

**Thanks to all of you who read, favorite and review. **

**Only one chapter left! It's going to take me even longer to finish that chapter. Mainly because I'm going to be doing something different with it, but I'll save explanation for next time.**

* * *

**Royal Palace**

Once the caravan came to a stop Bryce poked his head out from behind the two crates that concealed him. As soon as the driver and his helping hand led the horse like thingy into the nearby stables, Bryce jumped from his hiding spot. He paused in order to take in his surroundings; breaking out into a run once he spotted the kitchen entrance.

Bryce knew now would be the perfect time to sneak into his mother's room undetected. Her personal guards would be standing guard outside of the throne room, and his mother would be in meetings all day with her advisers. What they could possibly be talking about that would take all day to decide upon and was beyond Bryce, but he'd take any kind of distraction.

Running as fast as his little legs could carry him, Bryce searched desperately for his mother's private chambers. He knew his mother's room was somewhere on the third floor. As he ran through the seemingly endless hallways. Bryce decided it would be best speak to his mother about making the hallways shorter and less twisty. It would sure make finding things a lot easier. He would also ask if she could have someone put in a window or two. Using candles to light a hallway was not only dangerous, but it was creepy the way it caused scary shadows to appear out of nowhere.

After much searching he found a familiar hallway lined with scary shinny armor statues. Each statue held a banner with his mother's family crest and colors. Both of which made little sense to him, but at least it made her room easy to find. The Queen's chambers would be the last door on the left.

Standing before the Queen's private chambers, Bryce reached out for the door knob and twisted it. Pushing the door slightly, he peers into the room to find it empty. Awave of relief washes over him as he pushes the door open completely and enters his mother's room.

"Oh no." Bryce groaned upon seeing all of the neatly stacked piles of official looking papers across the desk in the corner of the room. Not one to be completely discouraged by his lack of reading skills,Bryce pulled out the chair, placed it before the desk and crawled up to get a better view of the papers he couldn't read. There were five neatly stacked piles of paper. There were two of them were rather massive in size, while the three stacks containing the Queen's seal at the bottom were in the smaller of the piles.

Preferring to be safe now rather than sorry later, Bryce thought it best to collect all of the papers bearing his mother's seal and bring them back to Zara to read. Before he stepped down from the chair Bryce carefully set down the stamped sheets on top of the chair, took the same amount (what he guessed to be the same amount) of unstamped sheets from the other piles, placing them in the stamped sheets place. Grinning from ear to ear at his brilliance, Bryce collected the stamped sheets, and jumped from the chair; landing softly on the wood floor below.

Tucking the documents under his filthy shirt Bryce calmly walked out of his mother's room and shut the door behind him, so no one would know anyone had been inside the chamber. Just as he thought he was in the clear, the sound of loud foot steps echoed throughout the otherwise silent hallway.

In a panic Bryce pulled the documents from his shirt and hid them behind a nearby armored statue. As the footsteps quickly approached he was able to make out Ser Cauthrien and one of her guardsmen coming down the hall.

She stopped and eyed innocent looking Bryce suspiciously. "Good afternoon, your Highness." She said. Watching his reaction closely.

The boy's mind was racing and sadly drawing blanks. What would he usually do? Thankfully his mouth began moving before too much time had passed. "Afrnoon!" He said enthusiastically followed by a wide grin. Ser Cauthrien's eyes softened and the corners of her mouth tugged upwards into a slight smirk.

He liked Cauthrien a great deal. She's always nice to him and, she never went out of her way to scare him like certain other advisers did. In the evenings after all of her duties were finished, she insisted upon teaching him how to use a dagger. She said he could switch weapons later, but for now it was important for a young Prince to know how to wield a weapon. Bryce had no idea what she meant by any of that, but more than anything he was just glad for the company.

"Are you looking for your mother?" She asked in a soft tone. Not knowing what else to do Bryce nodded. "You know she's in a meeting all day. There's a Landsmeet tomorrow, I doubt you'll see much of her today."

Bryce heaved a heavy sigh and looked sadly at the ground. "Wike any ofer day." He muttered loud enough for Cauthrien to hear.

She motioned her fellow guard to stand else where. Once her fellow guard was out of sight Cauthrien got down on one knee so she was at eye level with Bryce. Her heart went out to the young Prince. He had to be so unbelievably lonely.

Cauthrien felt bad for the lad. The only people he ever saw during any given day were is nurses and tutors. The only time the Queen really bothered to spend any time with him is at social functions; and that was only to parade him about in front of nobles like Arl Eamon who thought she could never conceive a child. What little free time she had she spent with Bryce,teaching him the only thing she knew she could teach him, to fight. Otherwise the poor boy went completely ignored. Unless his real mother came for a visit.

Yes. She knew exactly who his real parents happened to be. His facial features were similar to those of Elissa's. Also the adoption agreement papers had just happened to be laying about in the open on the Queen's desk one day. As usual Cauthrien's curiosity got the better of her and found herself reading over the documents. Given their history of disagreements Cauthrien found herself rather surprised that the Warden would choose the Queen. Given her condition at the time, who knows what lines the Queen used to convince the Warden.

"You know your mother is with Tatum and myself until nightfall." She eyed the boy suspiciously. She nearly broken out into a smile when he gulped nervously. "Were you really over here searching for your mother?" Cauthrien asked.

Bryce nodded his head vigorously"Yes." He said with far more determination than intended.

"Oh. Alright then." She moved her hand from Bryce's shoulder; sliding it behind the armored statue and pulled out the documents. "Then I'm sure the wind blew these here. How nice of the wind to stack them all so very nicely."

Instead of making up some excuse he knew she wouldn't believe, he told her of the conversation he had over heard several nights ago between Tatum and his mother. He also gave her the condensed version of the events at Drakon that morning.

Once he was finished she wordlessly looked through the documents; handing handing him sheet after sheet. Confused and unsure, Bryce accepted each sheet he was handed. By the time she was done he had six sheets of paper in his hand.

"Breath not a word to anyone that it was I who gave these to you." She demanded sternly. Bryce nodded eagerly. "Give those to your friend. They will be most...helpful."

"K."Bryce said.

"These sheets of paper don't look like much, but they have the possibility of changing the outcome at tomorrow's Landsmeet. Be careful how you use them. You may not like the consequences attached to them. Just keep in mind whatever happens was bound to and isn't your fault."

Bryce defiantly didn't like the sound of that, but decided not to ask what she meant and nodded instead. "Fank you." He beamed. He didn't understand why she was helping him and Zara free Elissa. He almost asked, and would have if he had known how to properly word his question. She was helping;that's all that mattered.

"Now If I'm not mistaken I believe you have lessons with your speech tutor today." She chuckled softly when Bryce sneered and groaned. "Do you know where your room is?" She asked. He nodded shortly as he stuck the documents in his shirt. Bryce gave Cauthrien a genuine smile before trotting off down the down the hallway.

She watched him leave. Once he was out of sight, she walked into the Queen's room. She could feel her guards eyes on her as she placed the papers down on the desk.

"Children."She said followed by rolling her eyes. "You know how they love to play pranks on us adults." She shrugged. Her guard smiled and shrugged in agreement. Nothing more was said on the matter.

Moving to the unsigned documents, Cauthrien thumbed through the stack, looking for what the Queen had ordered her to find. The very thought of the Queen set off waves of guilt in Cauthrien stomach.

Her mind yelled "Traitor" among other things. She ignored her mind's accusations. She had seen what power did to people. It made them irrational and weak. Anora was quickly turning into her father. As much as she still loved, and respected Loghain, she would not let something like that happen to Ferelden again.

Her thoughts switched to Elissa. Which filled her with even more dread. Even though it was treason; she hoped what she had just done would play some kind of roll in helping the Warden. Elissa deserved better than to be thrown into the lower level dungeons with murderers. And to put Howe's former guards in charge of her had been beyond cruel on the Queen's part.

After finding the official document from Rivani, she left the chambers with her guard in tow. As she made her way back to the Throne room, Elissa was still in her thoughts.

Never, in all of her years had she hoped for a prisoner's escape. However; she did now.

* * *

*********

Fort Drakon Lower levels (Nighttime)

Nighttime could not come fast enough for Elissa. The growing rage within her called for the blood of the guardsmen. Much of the day was spent either pacing and chatting up her neighbor.

They spoke of her morning visitor. He was curious why a servant would want to speak with a prisoner at such great length. She told him why.

"The Wardens dip their hands into a bit of everything." He said,followed by chuckling then a fit of coughing.

"We aren't supposed to get involved with matters such as these, butsometimes fate is a bitch." She sneered. There was more chuckling mixed with his dry heaving coughs. Elissa knew it had been days since the poor fellow had any water. She would hopefully be able to change that soon enough.

Hours later Elissa glanced towards the small, barred window in her cell. Excitement filled her as she saw no signs of the sun. The guards would be switching shifts at any moment.

As if on cue the sounds of heavy armored boots filled the otherwise empty hallway. It was the only time she had ever welcomed the sound of their footsteps.

They stopped to speak with the day shift watchmen and excuse them for the night. The sounds of their steps neared her door. They would come in and check on their Warden first; as always, to make sure she was either in pain or seething with hatred. Both reactions appeared to get them hot and bothered. Today she would give them neither.

As her door slowly opened Elissa took a seat on the floor; making sure to slide her dagger behind her bottom so not to be seen. The guards stood at her doorway for a moment staring at her.

"How's our little pigeon tonight?" One of them asked. The others cackled with laughter. Elissa continued to stare vacantly at their feet,frowning deeply while rocking back and forth.

"Oh,I'm fine. Thank you so much for asking Ser." She said politely. Elissa didn't need to see their faces to know her sudden behavior change confused them.

"What the fuck?" One of the guards sneered.

"I second that." Said another.

"What are we going to do with her now? She's no fun like this."

"Oh sure she is." Said the obvious commanding guardsmen. The one she hated more than any of them. The greasy bastard could find the fun in a funeral. "We just have to be more creative. All of you pick something out." He said while pointing down the hall. Elissa knew that was where most of their more...creative weapons were kept. "I'll keep an eye on our Warden here."

Something in his tone told Elissa that his plan involved more than just watching. The corner of her mouth twitched upwards in a half smirk. Funny how sometimes things fall into place without really trying.

"Finally."He sighed in relief. There was the unmistakable clank of a buckle being undone. Elissa wanted to roll her eyes.

"_Really?This arsehole is so predicable."_ She thought to herself in disgust.

Once his buckle was unfastened and on the floor, he started in on his armor. "I had no idea they made beautiful Wardens." He sneered as he dropped his trousers to the floor.

"Oh good Maker." Elissa sighed before she could stop herself. But this was just painful. Someone needed to put this arse out of his misery. On the behalf of the women of Ferelden, Elissa would be the one to do it. "I had no idea they made guardsmen so unbelievably stupid."

"Excuse me?"

Grabbing the hilt of her knife as she popped up from the ground, Elissa was on him before he knew what was happening and could reach for his own sword. Which just happened to be attached to his trousers. Holding the dagger firmly against his throat, she looked into his eyes. Terror. His reaction to her actions seemed to satisfy her rage to some extent.

There was nothing to be said. This was the man who had ordered a hammer to be brought down on her hand. He had ordered her to the rack more times than she could count,beaten her to the point of blacking out, and tonight he had planned on raping her. There was no witty comment to be said, no insult too demeaning.

Bringing the blade down Elissa stabbed him in the throat. He tried to scream, but the could not. The terror in his eyes turned to shock, then pain. His hands flew up to cover his throat.

She stabbed him a second time because once wasn't enough. It would be a matter of minutes before he would choke on his own blood. As much as she wanted to stay and watch the greasy bastard die, Elissa knew she didn't have that much time.

She grabbed his belt laying the floor and detached the set of keys from a loop near the buckle. Without glancing back, she walked out of the cell, closed the doorand locked it behind her. As these were the only set of keys the night guardsmen had, they would have to wait for the day guardsmen to come back for their watch in order to get back in.

She stopped before her neighbor's cell and fumbled with the keys. After several failed attempts to find the right key, finally she heard the lock give way and the door swung open.

She looked down at her neighbor. Both stared at one another with curiosity. His body was thin from lack of food, his hair was black with bits of gray here and there. His long unkempt black beard gave him a wild man look.

"You're older than I thought you'd be." She finally said as they assessed one another. He chuckled softly.

"Thanks. You're about how I pictured you. Well...you might have had long blond hair in my mind. But the balding look works for you."

"Silver."

"Sexy."

Elissa chuckled. "Are you ready to go?"

With much effort he pushed himself from the ground. "Lead the way, my Lady."

They didn't wait for the other guardsmen and their reactions (as much as Elissa wanted to stay and watch). Keeping to the shadows, they made their way to the upper floors. They were lucky as they met no other guards on their way out.

"What is your name?" Elissa whispered.

"Neer."He grumbled. "Might I ask yours?"

"Elissa."

Neer stopped and stared at her."Warden Elissa Cousland?" He asked. Elissa couldn't tell if it was in fear or amazement. She nodded shortly. "My business partner spoke of you a great deal."

"Many people speak of me." She sighed and rolled her eyes and continued walking. Neer followed at a distance.

"No. That's not what I mean. He told me he once served as a Cousland family knight. Or was it guard. I can't rightly remember."

This peaked Elissa's interest."This is the partner you supposedly killed?" Neer sighed and nodded. "I'm not accusing you. I merely wanted to be sure." She glanced over her shoulder. " What was his name?"

Neer gulped. "Gilmore."

Elissa pace slowed, then she stopped all together. Slowly she turned to face Neer. "Roland was alive?" She asked softly.

Neer nodded sadly. "Indeed." Unsure what to say, Elissa turned on her heels and began walking. Neer followed. She was unsure what she felt. Relieved to know Roland had survived the attack that night. Knowing that he was dead now made her relief rather short lived.

"You did not kill him?"

"I swear upon Andraste's ashes."

"We'll speak of this later."

"Of course." Neer agreed sadly.

There was no conversation between the two while they navigated their way through the prison. Neer was surprised how quickly she had found the servants entrance. Better yet, it was unguarded; making their escape easier than anticipated.

Walking through the woods at night had always scared the piss out of Neer, but Elissa appeared to know exactly where she was going. He decided he wanted to be let in on exactly where they were heading.

"Zara told me that she meets with Zev in a deserted alleyway at this time of night. I figured that would be the best way to find her."

"Sounds like a good plan. Do you know which alley? There are tons in Denerim."

Elissa nodded and pointed. "Over there." She pointed between two empty building where a lone elf stood waiting.

"Zara" She called out. With a dagger drawn, Zara turned towards whomever was calling out her name. It was quickly sheathed when she saw who had called it.

"What the hell?" Zara gasped. "I was expecting Zev. I've been waiting for fucking ever! Not that I'm not overjoyed to see you, but why am I seeing you?"

"I had some help." Elissa said, but said nothing more. Zara did not ask for a more of an explanation.

"The Landsmeet is tomorrow." Zara blurted.

"Of course it is." Elissa groaned and sneered. "The nobles wasted no time in gathering. I suppose it's not every day one claims to be along lost King."

"That's the truth." Neer muttered softly.

Zara eyed Neer suspiciously fora moment, but quickly turned her attention back to Elissa. As the shem held no interest for her. Neer couldn't help but feel a bit slighted by this.

"In that case we need to move quickly." Elissa offered.

"I'll have something coming tomorrow. I was hoping it would help with your release." Zara arched a brow. "But I see that was rather unnecessary."

"Maybe not. They can still help in the Landsmeet."

"I don't suppose you have a plan?" Zara asked. The smirk on Elissa's lips said it all.

"When one has nothing but time, planning is all one can ever do."


	19. So here we are

******A/N: I am so sorry for the LOOOOOOONG wait. The original plan was to make 19 the last chapter. Wellllll...it kinda didn't work out that way. There was too much information and with the added Landsmeet it would have been super long. So this last chapter will be split into two parts. Plus a prologue. **

******A huge thank you to my beta Alyssacousland for adding some much needed corrections and punctuation to this chapter. Because of her think chapter makes sense. THANK YOU! **

******Thank you to all of you who Read, lurk and review this story of mine. You guys are awesome. Enjoy! **

* * *

******Somewhere between Soliders Peak and Denerim**

Heavy rain descended in sheets upon Alistair and Maric as they trotted along the path from the Peak to Denerim. Hardly ideal traveling weather, but Maric had insisted they get themselves an early start to Denerim. As the ride was only two hours at the most, Alistair failed to see how arriving twelve hours early would be in the least bit helpful. But it was the only way to silence the would be king. A far less whiny Maric was preferred, which is the only reason he agreed.

Somewhere in the distance a wolf called out to its pack mates. Muffled howls followed. A cranky Alistair had no doubt in his tired mind the blasted thing was telling the others it had spotted easy prey. With his head already aching from the lack of sleep, Alistair found himself irrationally annoyed by their persistent howling.

"Oh will the lot of you just shut up!" He screamed, only making the throbbing in his head worse. The howling momentarily stopped but not for long. "Andraste's ass," Alistair muttered. Next to him Maric snorted and chortled. Slowly, he turned to face his companion, eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Do you find something amusing?"

"Would you hold it against me if I said yes?"

"Shut up."

"Someone has a nug up their arse today."

"Someone is about to have a nug shoved up their arse if he doesn't shut his big fat mouth," Alistair growled angrily. The threat had no effect on Maric as his laughter echoed throughout his throbbing head. The sound of laughter made his every muscle tighten. His lips curved in to a snarl.

"And where might you go about finding a nug here in the woods?" He asked rhetorically. "Anyway, I'd rather not have anything shoved anywhere today. I'll need my wits about me, and no one would take me seriously with a nug in my arse." The humor quickly drained from Maric's face.

Alistair chuckled. "You're scared."

"Of course I'm scared. I'd be a damned fool if I weren't. Hoping I can somehow convince an entire room of nobles and the chantry that I am who I claim to be without any proof is...terrifying." And there it was; A man who had been the driving force behind the resistance against the Orlesians, somewhat fearlessly wandered the Deep Roads twice, traveled the open sea, and survived being a slave to a bunch of crazy elves. After all this - it was a bloody landsmeet that scared the ever-living piss out of him.

Wanting to laugh at the thought of the renowned, fearless hero being scared, Alistair found he simply couldn't. Even though the circumstances were slightly different, and his own landsmeet had been one of the most traumatic experiences of his life, he understood the anxiety the bugger must be feeling. How could he poke fun at that?

"I've had a thought." Maric declared thoughtfully.

"Oh good. And I'm here to witness and hear what will no doubt be a monumental occasion."

A smirk spread across Maric's lips. "Oh. That smart mouth of his does me proud," Maric thought. "Do you think it's pouring this hard in Denerim?" Alistair glanced at Maric and shrugged.

"I suppose it could be."

"Do you think Zara is going to kill you? Or merely wound you for forcing her to wait in the rain for a contact that is never going to come?"

"SHIT!" Alistair roared furiously. "Why did I send Zevran off?" He asked himself. Sadly, his own exhausted brain could not come up with an answer. Zara wouldn't kill him, but she would no doubt have several choice words for him. There was soft chuckling coming from Maric. The urge to kick the bastard from his horse was overwhelming, and it would have done it but, the act itself would have only temporarily made him feel better.

"I doubt she'll kill you. Wounding is more or less her style."

"Why didn't you say anything before I sent Zevran off?" Alistair snarled.

Maric shrugged. "You're the leader. I assumed you knew what you were doing. Since you're trying out optimism, I thought I might try out silence."

Shutting his eyes and taking several deep breaths, Alistair slowly regained his composure. It was pointless getting angry over something which was already done. Needless to say, the urge to kick the nug bastard off his horse wasn't overwhelming. Sadly, it would accomplish nothing and only leave him momentarily satisfied.

"Well in that case; why don't you start living by your new found philosophy of yours and stay silent." His mouth curved into a sardonic smile. " Lest you would prefer your left eye to match that of your right eye?"

Hardly feeling the need for matching black eyes, Maric would give the boy what he wanted and push his luck no further.

Not a word was passed between them for the remainder of their journey. This, of course, pleased Alistair to no end. Now if only the surrounding wolves would cease with their yowling, his head would hardly feel like exploding.

"_Oh well_." He thought to himself. The edge of his mouth curved into a slightly crooked smirk. _"One miracle at a time."_

* * *

**Denerim**

"Holy Maker!" Elissa gawked as she stood in the middle of the Alienage, slowly pivoting on her feet in order to take in the scene around her. It was by no means as nice as it could be but, yet, it was so...different. The houses and shops weren't nearly as dilapidated as they had once been. The old orphanage had been completely torn down; in its place stood an outline of a large building.

Zara chuckled as she watched Elissa's amazement."I suppose being crazy doesn't come with a whole lot of outings" Turning slightly, Elissa shrugged and nodded. "It could be better. But I hear it's looking better than it did before I got here."

"That's putting it mildly." Elissa gaped. "Shianni told me they had plans to rebuild, but I never got to..." Her words trailed off as there was no need to finish what she was about to say.

"I hate to interrupt your admiration of the elven buildings," said Neer, who was shivering violently. "But do you think we could go somewhere warm?"

"Follow me." Zara said, leading the way to the house she and Shianni once shared. The hovel was still ever a hovel, but it was still home and Zara was glad to see it. Not bothering to knock, Zara opened the door. Shianni was in her usual place sitting at the table. Much to her surprise Anders sat across from her friend, grinning. Zara couldn't help but smile back. Now there was a face she missed. A lot.

"Welcome home Z.," said Shianni in an oddly cheerful tone. "Sit down, sit down!" She ordered, pulling out the chair to her right. "Has there been any news on Warden Cousland?"

ara nodded sheepishly. "." She chuckled. "On that note; we have company. So you might want to bring out two more chairs and make yourselves comfortable," she said, stepping aside, allowing Shianni and Anders to view who their unexpected guests were.

There was a collective gasp of surprise.

"Maker's ass." Both Shianni and Anders said in unison. Then, both jumped from their chairs, knocking them back to the floor.

"How...why...when?" After many failed sentence attempts Anders finally gave up and quickly closed the distance between himself and Elissa, pulling her into a hug, only letting go when she claimed breathing being an issue. Slowly releasing her, his eyes drifted downwards towards her dangling and badly damaged left arm. "Pray tell, my dear. What is that all about?"

"Disgruntled guardsmen and my unwavering sense to defy authority."

Frowning, Anders glanced down at her dangling arm and sighed. "If becoming a mangled mess was your plan, that obviously worked out rather well for you." Grabbing what was left of her arm, he inspected the wound . "It's showing signs of infection where your bone is showing." He said, pointing to a place on her arm where fragments of bone were poking through the skin.

"I can't feel it. But I assumed as much seeing as it's flaming red." Elissa shrugged. "I would appreciate it if you could make it less infected."

Wordlessly, Anders walked across the room, picked a chair up from the floor. Waving his hand, he motioned for her to sit in the chair. Once she was seated, He crouched down before her and took her wounded arm. Taking a nearby clean towel he wiped away the dirt and grime out of her wounds before healing.

"I had heard you were arrested, but I could hardly believe it." Shianni said as she busied herself with the menial job of fetching an extra chair for Neer at the table. She hardly wanted to sit and watch Anders work on a festering wound. Placing the extra chair between Anders and Zara, Shianni eyed Neer suspiciously as he took his placed seat. The torn clothing told her that he must have been a prisoner as well. She made a mental note to ask about him later.

Elissa nodded shortly and shrugged her shoulders slightly. "It was bound to happen. I just didn't think Anora would act so quickly."

"The woman is a damned fool." Shianni said heatedly. " If she were half as good at politics as she pretends to be, she would have tried to win you over with empty promises and kind words."

"Kind words are hardly her forte. But empty promises are. Along with manipulation and under-handed threats." Elissa said, followed by a knowing and bitter chuckle.

"As it is with anyone who has a crown on their head." Shianni said. Rolling her eyes. "The market place has been livid since the royal guardsmen marched you through."

Elissa's eyes met Shianni's, an impish smirk broke out across her lips. "I believe that is exactly the reaction Ser Cauthrien was hoping for." The look of confusion on the faces of those around her hardly surprised Elissa.

"I thought Cauthrien was ever faithful to Loghain?" Neer asked in a small bewildered tone.

"She still is. But the woman is smart and knows a power crazy mind when she sees one. She recognized it in Loghain, and has always seen Anora's need for control and power. Cauthrien has never held the same respect for the Queen as she did for her father." Elissa closed her eyes and sighed softly. "I understand why Anora is acting the way she is. Any person threatening her position of power would make her act the same way."

"No. I don't believe she would be acting the same way if it were anyone else." Zara stated thoughtfully. "Granted, I don't really understand shemlen politics to any real extent, but I somewhat doubt she would be going through such great lengths if it were some random noble challenging her position. Maric - a hero and a legend challenging her? She knows she'll lose. The fact that you've switched alliances just pisses her off even more." Everyone slowly turned to eye Zara, bewildered. The elf merely smirked and shrugged. "You humans aren't as complicated as you seem to think you all are."

Everyone remained silent for a time, lost in their own thoughts.

Anders' mighty yawn nearly made everyone jump with surprise. Having finished healing Elissa's arm he pushed himself up from his crouching position. "I know there are questions to be asked and answered, but we should all get some rest. We have a Landsmeet to crash tomorrow." He smirked impishly. Oh how he enjoyed crashing royal events. This one would no doubt be epic. He attempted to conjure up an image of Anora's surprise when she saw Elissa walk through the doors of the Landsmeet. He doubted his mind could do the real life moment any justice, but that didn't stop him from trying.

"And some of us have Mothers to rescue and escort." Zara said sleepily. The subject of Hannah's rescue had been discussed at great length during their walk from the fort. Elissa could hardly believe she had forgot about Hannah during her and Neer's own escape. Zara had believed it was for the best given the condition Elissa was in. As a servant Zara was able to move about the prison freely (to an extent), and being an elf no one would give her a second glance. Having no other options, Elissa agreed to Zara's plan. As if she had any other choice.

There would be time in the morning for questions. For now, it was time to get what little rest they could. Shianni and Zara slept in their respective beds, while their guest slept on thin blankets on the hard wood floors.

For Elissa sleep did not come. Her whirlwind thoughts were the culprit. Thinking back on Anora's actions they made absolutely no sense. One minute she's sending assassins after them, the next she's having people arrested? "She can't make up her mind whether she wants us alive or dead." She thought. "Her actions are erratic at best, which hardly bodes well for her. I'm sure Maric will bring her actions up out of desperation."

She suddenly found herself confused by both Anora and Maric's actions. Both selfish in their own ways, both willing to use whomever and whatever to achieve their main goal, which in this case happened to be power. She knew Maric was the lesser of the evils, but at the moment she had a hard time thinking of a reason why he might be. And that bothered her.

* * *

**Denerim- The Warden Compound**

Arriving in Denerim by daybreak and with several hours to spare before the meet, both men knew no matter where they chose to stay in town, Anora would have her people watching their every move. At least the compound had little in the way of windows and fewer servants to bribe. Not that they worried about Anora acting against them with the landsmeet only hours away, but neither Maric or Alistair were overjoyed at the thought of being watched.

After a large breakfast, one of the servants escorted them to a room on the second floor, where they met with Arl Eamon to discuss what progress had been made. The Arl frowned as he listened to Maric's prepared speech, which was short and sadly lacking in substance.

"I know that look Eamon." Maric said. "Unless you have something to add, it's all I have."

The Arl shook his head and sighed. "It will have to do. Most of what you've said is true and, it will play on the sympathies of the nobles. But without the Chantry standing behind you and vouching your identity we have little in the way of hope of procuring any votes from them."

"This is a load of nug shit." Alistair muttered bitterly. "How are we expected to prove anything when Anora has blocked us at every turn?"

"Welcome to the world of politics my boy," Said Eamon. "Where playing fair is merely an ideal and everyone is out for themselves."

"I don't care about politics." Alistair croaked. "I only care about one thing, and that's Elissa."

"Even her being arrested was politically motivated Alistair. If you weren't so blinded by your feelings you would see that and understand how important it is for Maric to win." As soon as the words spewed forth from Eamon's mouth he knew it was the wrong thing to say. Not that he would take them back. It needed to be said.

Much to everyone's surprise Alistair merely glared at his uncle as he rose from his chair. "I'll get our horses ready." He said between clenched teeth as he left the room, the two older men silently watching him go.

"His restraint has improved," said Eamon as he continued to watch Alistair descend down the hall and finally disappear down the stairwell.

"That would depend on who you ask."

Turning his head slightly, Eamon met Maric's hard stare with his own. "You can use what little time you have left to rework that horrible speech of yours. The Maric I knew had a gift for convincing and motivating speeches. What you have know is a pile of nug shit that not even the Maker himself would believe." Eamon got up from his chair. "I will leave a servant outside this room. When you're done, tell him and he will take you to your quarters. You'll need the proper clothing before we leave." He added before closing the door.

The moment the door closed, Maric used his anger to his advantage and tore off a sheet of parchment and quill from a nearby desk. He wrote furiously, each word coming easier than the last. Soon his anger with Eamon subsided. He knew his anger was slightly misplaced. "Well played you old goat." He muttered aloud to himself.

He pictured Anora's face in his mind, along with that of the face of her father. Yes. His anger had been seriously misplaced. These were the two who had thrown his Kingdom into chaos, murdered his son, put their own lust for power over that of the people.

Before he knew it, his speech was completed. After rereading what he had written, he was pleased with what he saw. A confidence and pride he had not felt in years suddenly filled him. He would win this meet, even without Elissa and Mother Hannah's help.

In a graceful motion he stood from his chair, marched across the room; throwing open the door. The servant was momentarily startled by the sudden movement behind her. Nervously she lead Maric to his room, where he easily slipped himself in the tunic and trousers Eamon had left for him. He smiled at the sight of his own family colors of gold and grey.

Descending the stairs, he found it empty. No doubt Eamon would already be at the landsmeet. Why waste anymore time? Making his way through the compound, he found Alistair outside waiting upon his own horse. He was in his ceremonial Warden's armor; grey from the body down with a blue and white Warden emblem proudly scrawled in the middle of his breastplate.

Maric took the reins to his own horse from Alistair. Mounting his horse with ease, he glanced at Alistair. "Let's go win ourselves a landsmeet." Maric smirked. Much to his surprise, Alistair smirked as well and nodded in agreement. Both kicked their horses and rode in silence towards the royal palace where the meet was to be held.

As they dismounted they saw Zevran standing outside the entrance with First Enchanter Kyle. Neither were looking very confident as they stood waiting.

"How were you able to get here so quickly?" Alistair asked as he dismounted.

Zevran looked at Kyle. Both were smirking at the other. "With a little bit of luck and magic."

Alistair rolled his eyes, not knowing what to make of that statement.

"Everyone is already inside. A little early. No?" Zevran asked as he cocked his head slightly.

"Enough chatting." Maric ordered sternly.

With a deep breath to steady his nerves, he opened the front doors, which led into a waiting area just outside the inner chamber. Zevran and the first Enchanter slipped in before them, mixing themselves among the lesser nobles on the floor.

Maric and Alistair did not wait for their names to be called as was proper protocol. Sparing each other a nervous glance, which said more than words ever could, they opened the door and descended upon the Landsmeet.


	20. Landsmeet

**A/N: Part one of the last chapter! Part two should be up within a couple of days. **

**I cannot even begin to thank alyssacousland enough for helping me with this chapter. She not only edited this Loooong chapter, but she also helped me write it. Thank you for putting up with my craptastic spelling and errors and coming up with some GREAT suggestions. Without her this chapter would SUCK! **

**Thanks to all of you who have read, reviewed and placed on your favorites! **

* * *

O**utside Fort Drakon**

The guards around the fort were scarce, something Bryce paid no mind to as he waited for his elven friend. Waiting for Zara felt like a never ending chore. Not as if Bryce would know a chore even if it were to bite him on the hind quarters, but he assumed this is what one would feel like. She had said that she would be here. Why wasn't she here? Had something happened? The papers in his hand crumpled as he squeezed them nervously in his tiny hands.

He found himself wishing he were older. Maybe then these papers would make sense. At the moment they were a jumbled mess in his eyes. Yet, he felt what he held in his hand was of great importance. Something life changing even. Which made him all the more determined to wait for Zara so he could give her the papers personally. Oh he knew his mother would be furious with him. That in itself was a frightening thought, but if it would help his Eli get out of this horrible place, it was well worth the risk.

Sometimes he wondered why he enjoyed Eli so much. The only time he ever saw her was when he was allowed to accompany his mother to visit uncle Eamon. She had always been strange and said things that made no sense even to him. But she was always happy to see him and never yelled at him for being silly, or saying the wrong thing.

When he saw her at the Ball, she seemed...different. But he was still drawn to her and she had welcomed him as she always did. With a smile and open arms.

He had been so deep in thought, he hadn't heard the footsteps behind him. "Bryce?" came Zara's voice. He jumped and whirled around to face his friend. She was red in the face and breathing heavily. His eyes shone with excitement and happiness to see her.

"Hi!" He nearly yelled. He told himself to keep calm. This was no way for a prince to act. "Umm..Hellwoo."

Even in her breathless state Zara chuckled. "Hello your majesty." Her overly enthusiastic bow earned a chuckle. "Have you been waiting long?"

"I fink so."

"My deepest apologies for making you wait." She smirked. He had the feeling her apology wasn't sincere.

He held out the papers to her. "Fo you."  
Zara took the papers from his hands and began to flip through them. Her eyes skimmed each page eagerly. Her jaw tensed and cheeks flushed a deeper shade of red with every page read. "Holy gods." She muttered under her breath. Tearing her eyes away from the notes, she looked at Bryce, concern in her eyes. "Thank you Bryce. These will be a tremendous help."

He had no idea what that one long word meant, but he understood everything else. He beamed at the praise.

"I need you to do one more thing for me." She said her tone soft and gentle. Bryce arched his brow the best he could. "I need you to stay here with the mothers until I come back."

"No."

"No?"

"No! I'm going wif you!" He pouted sternly. The innocent determination in his eyes made Zara smile, if not chuckle a bit.

Zara thought on it for a moment then shook her head. "I can't do that. Don't ask me why, but I can't." She hardly wanted him following her to the Landsmeet. She did not want him witnessing the violence would surely follow whatever decision was made. The commander would never let her hear the end of it. He said nothing but continued giving her a determined stare. "I have no time for this Bryce. Come with me. The mothers will keep you safe." With her free hand she reached down and grabbed his balled up little fist.

While being led into the Fort, Bryce silently cursed himself for being a kid. All everyone cared about was keeping him tucked away and safe. He was almost four years old for Maker's sake! It's not as if he was a baby anymore.

They walked through the entrance hall. Zara mentally noted the lack of guardsmen within the halls. Some of the tension she felt melted away. This would make the job easier. They turned left, opening the door to the make-shift Chantry. The mothers were all still there, packed into the tiny room. Handing Bryce to a nearby mother and ordering her not to let him out of her sight, she set out in search of Mother Hannah.

It did not take long to find the mother standing in the middle of the room, speaking heatedly with several other Mothers. Weaving her way through the sea of mothers. Zara finally came up behind Hannah and placed a hand on the older mother's shoulder. Once she had the mother's attention, she motioned towards the doorway, where Mother Hannah was only too glad to follow.

Once they were outside they were able to speak freely. "You bring good news then child?

Zara did not stop walking until they were outside of the Fort. Thank the gods for a lack of security. "I didn't expected that to be quite so easy." Zara said amazed as she placed her daggers back into the sheath's concealed within the arm sleeves of her dress. "Had I known, I would have done this weeks ago.

"The lack of guardsmen no doubt made it easier. The majority of them departed early this morning. Those few who were left to guard us were called the lower levels several hours ago. Am I to assume the majority of them are at the palace. This would mean the Landsmeet is happening as we speak?"

Zara nodded. "It caught all of us a little off guard." She sighed softly. "The Queen wasted no time."

"And neither can we." Mother Hannah quickly matched Zara's quick pace. The elf spoke of the previous night and all that transpired. It was a relief to hear the Warden was safe, but rather disturbing to hear she was, as the elf put it "Worse for wear." Whatever that meant. Zara didn't elaborate and as much as Mother Hannah wanted an explanation, she did not pry. Knowing the Warden and her knack for dramatic entrances, Hannah knew she would see for herself soon enough.

Hannah had never considered herself to be a vindictive person, having come to the Chantry as a teenager not because her parents wanted to be rid of her, or because she was troubled. She had joined of her own accord because she truly believed in the Chantry's message and wanted to make others happy with the Maker's and Andraste's message. The Queen's actions left her with a mix of emotions that, frankly, confused her. The actions of the Queen brought up emotions she had rarely experienced.

Their pace slowed slightly when a branch behind them snapped.

Zara smirked and shook her head. "Slow down, but not too much." She muttered loud enough for Hannah to hear. "I knew the brat wouldn't listen. But at least the commander can't blame me for a lack of trying."

"Might I inquire after our stalker's identity?"

"Our dear, young prince is determined to see his first epic Landsmeet." Zara said and shrugged. "Short of beating him unconscious I doubt anything will stop him from following us."

Mother Hannah was mortified, but managed to hide her displeasure behind a calm exterior. "It is highly inappropriate for any child to be present at any such event. Perhaps if I speak with him the boy will change his mind?"

"You don't speak with very many children do you? If you think you can talk some sense into a stubborn three-year-old boy, then by all means Hannah, be my guest and try." The Mother made no move to dissuade Bryce from following them. Since there was little guard activity all they had to worry about were bandits, and even they were scarce. Nevertheless, both women kept an watchful eye on the surrounding woods as they sped towards the Landsmeet.

Inwardly,Mother Hannah could not wait to see the look of surprise on the Queen's face when she entered. The mental image conjured in her head would hardly be as good as the real thing, but for now it was enough to put a smile on her face. 

* * *

**The inner Landsmeet chamber**

The nobles fell silent as Maric and Alistair entered. With their heads held high and proud, they made their way up to the front of the room, where Anora stood with her advisers. A knowing smirk played across her lips as she watched them approach.

"_Two dead men walking - even if he does swear allegiance to me after he loses. This challenge cannot go unpunished." _

She knew the nobles would vote in her favor. After all, she had been the lone ruler for years, even when Cailan was alive. She knew what was best for Ferelden and its people. They all respected her and that is what she asked for. She was well aware of what the nobles called her behind her back. _Ice queen_was hardly original, but it did not bother her. The nobles were hardly her friends. They were puppets, to be used as she saw fit for the greater good of her country and people.

Her smirk faded as Maric took his place across from her. His eyes were hard and filled with hatred. Was this supposed to intimidate her in some fashion? How utterly and completely pathetic. Alistair took his place at the bottom of the stairs. "_Good."_ She thought. "_A bastard who is aware of his place in the world. Below the important people."_

Ever so gracefully, she pivoted her heels to face the nobles. For once she would not need to clear her throat in order to gather attention to herself as the room was completely silent.

"Lords and Ladies, hear me." Her proud voice boomed throughout the hall. "You are gathered today because of an 'invitation' for lack of a better word. Alas, the person who invited you is merely fooling you all into thinking he is our long-lost king who-"

Maric scoffed loudly over her words. "Your highness. With all due respect, prejudicing the minds of everyone here before we have even begun is rather beneath you. It's customary to give a heart-felt speech about how wonderful you are before persuading them I am not who I claim to be." Silence followed, but Anora could see the smirks on several of the noblemen's faces. Remaining calm, Anora merely smiled graciously, while inwardly she seethed.

"Lords and Ladies," Maric spoke as he turned to face the meet. "Nothing would please me more than to be able prove to all of you I am who I claim to be. Unfortunately, The only person who can vouch for me, Mother Hannah, the Revered Mother of Redcliffe is unable to be here today. She has been..._royally_detained."

There were confused looks all around. Bann Ceorlic was the first to speak. "What do you mean by 'royally detained'?"

Anora's face flushed red with anger. "Do not listen to this man. He will do or say anything in order to turn you against your queen."

Maric shook his head and tisked. "Now, now Your Majesty. Such words and looks are not becoming of an elegant queen such as yourself ." Holding out his hand, Alistair walked up the stair well, dropping a scroll in Maric's hands and returned to his place at the bottom of the stairs.  
Unrolling the scroll, Maric flipped it around so all could see. "This is her arrest notice." There was a horrified gasp from the Revered Mother in the balcony. "Arrested on suspicion of aiding a wanted criminal." Out of the corner of his eye, Maric saw Anora's face flush with anger and her lips pursed and quivering.

"What is the meaning of this your highness?" Cried an outraged Teyrn Cousland. "First my sister was arrested and paraded about Denerim like a common criminal, and now you're also arresting the mothers of the Chantry?"

It did not take the Queen long to recover from her momentary shock. "I am sorry, Teyrn Cousland. But they were all helping a woman who did nothing to hide her acts of treason."

"Then why not arrest me or any of the other people in Warden Cousland's traveling party?" Arl Eamon asked curiously. "Mother Hannah's arrest makes no sense, as she was merely doing her job and aiding no one."

"_You bastard"_The Queen's mind hissed. Not one to be thrown off in the slightest, Anora met Arl Eamon's accusatory stare coolly. "Rest assured, the mothers are not being held in any cell. Mother Hannah will be released once we are done with our regulated questioning."

"Mothers? You have arrested more than one?" Maric asked. He already knew the answer, but **she**was the one who slipped. Who would he be if he did not take advantage and call out her verbal mistake?

"Merely a slip Ser. "

"I don't believe it was. There have been reports that most of the major cities and villages are without Chantry mothers to lead services." Said Bann Lewaldon of the River Dane Bannorn.

"I know nothing of any other mothers who have been arrested. Whoever has done such a thing shall answer to me."

"I'll bet you don't." Maric muttered under his breath.

"Lords and Ladies. We are not here to fling wild insults at each other. We are here because this man, whoever he may be, wishes to take my place. I am curious as I'm sure everyone here is as well. Why now? Why are you doing this?"

Maric exhaled softly. "Because this is my birthright."

Anora's brow arched. "Is it now? If you are really Maric, your birthright did not appear to be important to you all those years ago when you left your kingdom off on a ridiculous journey."

Maric smirked, as he had expected this to be brought up. "I won't lie. It wasn't. I was young and felt trapped, which for now means a good excuse for leaving when I did. But it is the truth. Who among you Lords and Ladies can say they have never felt the same?"

No one spoke up. The silence in the room was overpowering.

"I took my position as king far too lightly which was not fair to any of you, or the people of Ferelden. Even if not a one of you believes me to be real, know that I am sorry for my past actions. But what is done cannot be undone. We learn from our mistakes and we move past them. I love this country and all who reside here, that has never changed over the years." Maric paused in order to collect his thoughts. "At any rate, this discussion will not prove to you that I am indeed Maric and is not relevant to the purpose of this Landsmeet as it does not matter why I left in the past. What matters is that I am here now."

The room was silent. No one dared speak. They merely watched and waited for the queen's reaction.

"That was simply lovely," Anora said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "I have ruled this country alone for many years. No one has complained nor challenged me until now. I have done everything in my power to make the people of this country happy..."

Her words were cut off by the sound of the door opening.

"I beg to differ with that, Your Majesty." Mother Hannah declared. "You have made _this_woman very unhappy."

"Mother Hannah." Maric gasped. Excitement ran through his body as the mother made her way through the sea of nobles.

"Lords and Ladies of Ferelden. I am Mother Hannah and I am very unhappy with the manner this country is being run," she stated, glaring daggers at the queen.

Anora said nothing as she was far too shocked. "_Shit,"_she thought. Doubt ran through her like a knife. "Why, Mother Hannah," she smiled weakly. "I am so very glad you were able to attend."

"Oh I'm sure you were,Your Highness," said the elf standing next to Mother Hannah.  
"_Shit!"_Anora's mind screamed again. She just hoped all was not lost and the nobles were not swayed by the fact that before them stood the real King Maric. 

* * *

**Denerim**

Both Elissa and Anders were running as fast as their legs could carry them. Along the way Anders filled her in on Alistair's rather erratic orders.

"Why the bloody hell would he send everyone away?"

Anders shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. He barks, we follow orders. Questioning them didn't really appear to be a good option at the time. Even if we are wardens, we all value keeping our heads attached to our necks, you see. It would be a real hassle to fight darkspawn without them."

"He is a bear when angry." Elissa rolled her eyes.

"Yes. Well. I think I would be too if I were in his shoes. It's not everyday the love of your life is arrested before your very eyes, and you aren't able to do anything about it."

Elissa turned a corner. "We need a shortcut," she said, trying to catch her breath. "If we don't hurry, the Landsmeet will be over before we get there."

"Fortunately, you are in the company of a mage who escaped the tower many times and knows the streets of Denerim like the back of his hand," Anders smiled. "Follow me..."

He led her through winding alleyways until the walls of the palace suddenly loomed up before them. Elissa blinked, amazed at how quickly they had gotten to their destination.

"That's pretty impressive," she said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Yes, well, don't thank me yet, the door is a bit further away than I thought," Anders replied, shaking his head. "Damn!"

"Well, point the way and let's make a run for it," Elissa urged. "With any luck, we'll arrive soon."

"I just love dramatic entrances, don't you?" Anders quipped, a smirk on his lips as he turned to the right, Elissa following him closely.

"Are you kidding. Dramatic entrances are one of my favorite past times. Along with cutting things, eating and sleeping," she grinned.  
"You sleep? I've never seen you do such a thing."

Elissa shrugged. "It's been known to happen on occasion. I happen to enjoy it when it does."

The huge doors to the palace soon came into view. They slowed and soon stopped once they stood before the place. Elissa mumbled a curse.

"What? Oh. Right. Life changing event and all. "

"Yes. That. And I'm still supposed to be in prison." Elissa's tone was full of bitterness.

"How law abiding of you. But just think of how bad it will look for Anora that you've escaped." Unable to help smirking, Elissa nodded in silent agreement of his point. It would look bad and oddly enough that made her feel much better.

A thought crossed Elissa's mind. Tilting her head up towards Anders, she looked at him thoughtfully. "Can I tell you something?"

"Oh, I suppose so."

"I had a rather odd visit and chat with a rage demon in my cell one day."

Anders's brow shot up. "Interesting."

"I thought so too...Seeing how I am no mage, I found this visit particularly odd."

"No. no. I didn't mean to imply the visit itself was interesting. Fade demons don't spend all day searching about circles waiting for some poor mage to realize they got the short end of the stick. They go where ever emotions run strong and the Veil is weak. Prisons and Circle towers are not so very different when it comes to the out pout of vengeful emotions." For a moment Anders was lost in his own train of thought. So many close calls, but that had been behind him for years now. "What I find interesting is that it was a speaking Rage demon. They aren't big on speaking."

"This demon was well aware of that short-coming in his kind."

"Scary. Did you kill him? Please tell you killed him."

"Someone else did. But for a while I thought..." She let her words trail off there. Anders knew what she had thought.

At this he chuckled. "Fear not my lady, you are no mage. Nor do you have a hint of magic in your veins. You can breathe a sigh of relief now."

She did no such thing. It would have been easier to take if she had a bit of magic in her. Hell. This meant her inner rage was strong enough to bring out demons. **That**is what scared her.

Without another word, she stepped inside the entrance.

"We must stop meeting like this Arlessa Cousland." Said Ser Cauthrien as she stood before the open doorway to the inner chamber.

Elissa smirked and nodded. "Indeed we do Ser Cauthrien. If I could bring myself to stop my fugitive ways, I'm sure we would be meeting in a tavern somewhere."

Ser Cauthrien would have laughed, but her attention was drawn to Elissa's dangling left arm. "Those bastards. I'll see them hanged."

"No need for that." Elissa smiled brightly. Ser Cauthrien did not inquire further as she could take a fair guess the man responsible was dead as dead could get. "So are you just going to stand there, or are you going to take me back?"

Her brow arched as she cocked her head curiously to her right. "What makes you think I'm taking you back?"

"Well I..." Elissa stopped and smiled at the knight. "Thank you."

"I'll be over there." She pointed to a nearby painting. "I am an avid lover of art after all. Enter whenever you two are ready." Without another word, Ser Cauthrien turned on her heels, and stood before her favorite painting.

Elissa grabbed Anders by the front of his robes, dragging him behind a nearby statue before anyone within the chamber could spot them.

"Getting cold feet already are you?" Anders whispered in her ear.

Elissa shook her head. "Just waiting for the right moment."

"Makes sense. Going with a dramatic does require timing."

Peeking around the statue all Elissa could see where the backsides of many nobles. Thankfully the conversation from within the room carried. "Good. Zara was able to safely retrieve Mother Hannah."

"She sounds rather angry."

"And here I thought she would be on her hands and knees thanking the Queen for arresting her. Some people are just so ungrateful."

"Shut up and listen you twit."

They both fell silent and listened, waiting for the moment they would make their grand entrance.


	21. Royal Consequences

**Landsmeet chamber**

The Queen's horrified look was hardly as fulfilling as Mother Hannah had imagined it would be. In fact, she found herself feeling sorry for the girl. Being in a position of power was all she knew, To have the position threatened so publicly had to be horrifying. While Mother Hannah did not agree with her methods, seeing her here looking almost vulnerable she found she could almost understand why the Queen had acted in such a manner. Almost.

"Mother Hannah," said Arl Wulff with a tone of understanding. " These are severe accusations against the Queen."

"I am aware of that my Lord." She took the sheets of paper from Zara's hand. She spared a glance at the Queen. In body language she was composed, but there was still terror in her her eyes as Mother Hannah searched through the parchment. "I hold here correspondence between Her Majesty, the Wardens of Weisshaupt and a blood mage they call Avernus."

"_What? How did she find those?"_The Queen inwardly seethed. It was quite difficult maintain a calm demeanor, but if anything she was trained very well in being outwardly poised. Although; in this case she was forced to use up every ounce of restraint in order to stay as calm as she appeared.

"_Who could have given them to her? I have no enemies within theses walls." _The Queen racked her brain to come up with a possible solution, yet she failed to conjure anything or anyone.

There was an sudden outburst of yowls and yelling throughout the room. Mother Hannah waited patiently until all was quiet.

"Do none of you wonder why The Hero of Ferelden made no appearances these past three years? Or why she made no effort to contact anyone?" Pausing, Mother Hannah looked about the room. Only Arl Eamon and Alistair did not meet her harsh gaze. "I know why. It's all in these papers. She was ordered to be poisoned. Wasn't she my Queen?" Anora met her gaze with an icy, scornful gaze of her own. "I could think of at least a hundred better poisons to use, but you went with Lyrium. Because it's slow, yet painful to those without a trace of magic in their veins."

"Mother Hannah. This is indeed a entertaining tale you weave." The Queen smiled.

"Oh. But I am hardly done. Why don't you tell all the Lords and Ladies here why?"

Anora said nothing to this.

"The reason is simple enough, yet complicated. Revenge. She is the reason your father is dead. You knew why she conscripted him into the wardens. How you found out is a mystery, but that isn't important. You hated her all the same. I doubt anyone here could blame you for your feelings, as I am sure most of us would feel the same." She paused to look down at the sheet of paper she was holding. "You were in contact with the wardens, who already disliked Warden Cousland. This letter I hold in my hand goes into great detail of Avernus's work and how he had already obtained her blood. From there the plan was easy was it not? Now comes the interesting part. A part I don't quite understand fully. My Queen cannot have children. Correct?"

"I hardly see what that has to do with anything," Anora snapped heatedly.

"Her child. You wanted it. But could hardly think of a way to get the child, could you?"

There was a low growl from the crowd. It took every ounce of restraint Alistair had not to run up the stairs and plunge his sword into Anora's heart.

There were hushed whispers in the room. Mother Hannah ignored them.

"Being a warden and the lifestyle she led, she knew keeping the child would be hard. But her poisoned mind was really the problem and she knew something was wrong. Didn't she?"

"She pleaded with me to take him in," Teyrn Cousland said sadly. "I refused."

"Who else could she turn to for help? You came to her with offer she could hardly refuse, as she had no real options readily available. Lucky for you she agreed. The problem of an heir had been solved for you. He is of royal blood, which is why you wanted him in the first place."

There were cries of outrage within the Landsmeet.

"Is this true, Your Highness?" The Revered Mother demanded sternly. "You would risk poisoning a woman with child in order to obtain her son?"

More outrage.

Ever stoic, the Queen calmly looked about the room. "If you have this in writing, then I will hardly deny these accusations." Then she smirked. "Royal blood? What makes you think he has any such thing?"

"He is my son." Alistair's voice boomed throughout the hall. "Before any of you ask for proof all any of you need to do is look at him."

The room fell silent as each Noblemen and woman contemplated what they had just heard.

Maric loudly cleared his throat. "Lords and Ladies. What the Queen has done to our most beloved hero is inconceivable. It is hardly uncommon in this day and age. I do not doubt the love of her people and country. She is a good Queen and has done right by most of you. Please keep this in mind as you make your decision."  
"I hardly need help from the likes of you." Anora spat.

Maric smirked. "Oh. I think you do."

"I believe we have all heard enough," said Bann Alfstanna.

"Indeed." Said Arl Eamon as he took his place between Anora and Maric. "Waking Sea. How do you vote?"

"We give our support to Maric."

Eamon nodded. "Highever. What say you on this matter?"

"Maric," said Teryn Cousland, his voice cold as ice.

"White Hills. What say you?"

"Anora," said Bann Comrac.

"Dragon's Peak?"

"Maric."

Around the room all the nobility cast their vote. All but four were in favor of Maric. The Queen's rage grew with every "Maric" vote cast.

"Amaranthine. How do you vote?"

There was no answer.

"Will no one speak for Amaranthine?"

Loud footsteps echoed throughout the hall.

"Amaranthine stands behind Maric," Elissa's voice boomed throughout the room.

Shock filled the room. Anora's face paled. Her insides churned violently, but her glance was venomous.

Alistair's eye grew wide, his mouth dropped in utter shock. He tried to speak, to call out her name but only a soft croak emerged. His eyes drifted down her body, if only to be sure she was really standing before him. "_Holy Maker's toe nails! What happened to her arm?"_He thought. Rage filled him as he saw her left arm hanging lifelessly by her side. When he found whoever did this to her, they would be praying for death by the time he was done with them.

"What are you doing here?" The Queen demanded, her voice wavering.

"Casting my vote of course." Elissa said. Returning the Queen's venomous glare. "Oh. Yes. I'm supposed to be in my cell aren't I? Well, the opportunity to get out presented itself, which is why I'm here now. The people of Amaranthine need their say as well do they not?" She smirked viciously.

"The wardens of Ferelden. How do you vote?" Eamon asked.

"Say what?" Alistair said, ripping his eyes from Elissa to Eamon.

"The wardens have their say in matters here."

"The wardens don't involve themselves in politics. I'd rather keep it as such." Alistair insisted.

"So be it." Eamon sighed softly as he turned to face Anora. "The count is as follows, Your Majesty, if I may..."

Anora humphed. "There is no need. I have been keeping count." Anora nearly spat. "Before you even ask, I will never swear my fealty to him."

"I assumed as much." Maric said with some regret. "There is a cell waiting for you in the tower of drakon."

"Very well," said Anora, an edge of sweetness in her tone.

Elissa watched Anora's movements and saw it before anyone knew what was happening. The moment she spotted the woman's hands reaching behind her back - reaching for a blade her advisor had given her before the Landsmeet had started. Elissa ran as fast as she could, shoving nobles out of her way. She ran up the stairs and placed herself in front of Maric just before Anora was able to plunge the blade in to his chest. The dagger plunged deep into her chest. Gasping from the pain, Elissa slowly dropped to her knees.

The room around her was in chaos. Nobles were running from the Meet, while others came to her aid. Alistair was beside her in an instant with his hand on her back to keep her upright.

"Get her out of here. Now!" Maric yelled. The guards quickly ushered Anora from the room.

"Anders! Get your ass over here!" Alistair screamed frantically.

Anders moved quickly and inspected the damage, then chuckled. "Oh you big baby," he said, rolling his eyes. "It's not that bad." He pulled the dagger out and began his healing spell.

"Your concern is overwhelming Anders. And touching," Elissa croaked.

"I know. It's just how I am," he said as he finished closing up the wound. "Good as new," he stated proudly.

"What is wrong with you?" Alistair growled. "Are you not happy unless I'm worried sick about you?"

Elissa narrowed her eyes. "My deepest apologies for preventing a murder. How ever will you forgive me?"

Alistair bent down to her ear and whispered.

"I can think of at least five ways you can make it up to me," he purred.

"Only five?" She whispered back.

Not caring who saw, he moved his lips over her own, kissing her with tenderness. Elissa felt her cheeks flush and her heart swell.

"Ellwie!" Bryce screeched as he ran up to her . Alistair quickly moved aside as the young boy threw his arms around her neck squeezing it as tightly as he could. He was afraid she would disappear again if he let go. He repeated her name over and over again like a chant. It was enough to make tears well up in Elissa's eyes.

"Oh Bryce," She sighed into his hair. "Have you been here the whole time?"

He slowly pulled away from her and nodded. There was a sadness in his eyes which nearly broke Elissa's heart in two. While she knew he understood almost nothing of what had been said, the questions would come eventually, but she hoped she would have several years before he started in on that.

"Bryce," Maric said softly as he knelt to the right of the boy. The lad eyed him suspiciously as Maric spoke. "I am sorry about your...mother." Bryce looked away from the king's soft gaze. "I was wondering if you might like to stay with Elissa and Alistair for a time?"

His features brightened dramatically.

Maric chuckled and nodded. "Then so be it. Prince Bryce of Ferelden, I hereby order you to keep an eye on our dear wardens. If they make any trouble whatsoever, you are to come and tell me immediately. Understood?"

With a nod and a grin, Bryce wrapped his small arms around Elissa's neck again.

Elissa looked up at Maric with tear stained eyes. "_Thank you,"_she mouthed.

"Well. Enough of this now. Get the hell out of my throne room. I have business to attend to." Maric ordered. Slowly everyone filed out of the room. Leaving the future king with Eamon to freely discuss business.

As Elissa, Alistair and Bryce left, something stirred within Elissa, nearly making her bring up her morning breakfast. Something wasn't right, but for the moment she ignored the feeling.

* * *

The next day Elissa was feeling worse than she had the day before. Keeping food down and moving were a massive chore. She forced herself to at least move. She had an important date to keep.

After reassuring Alistair that she was well and could travel on her own, she dressed quickly and walked in the direction of Fort Drakon. This visit with Anora could have waited, but in this matter patience was not a virtue she could exercise.

The walk was difficult, but with the help of a make-shift walking stick she was able to make it to the fort. The sight of the place sent shivers down her spine and made urge to vomit that much stronger. Taking a deep and calming breath, she pushed open the doors.

A guard acknowledged her with a nod and wordlessly led her up to Anora's cell in the higher level.

The guard took his leave the moment they stood outside of the queen's cell. It had none of the luxuries Anora was accustomed too. And while it was hardly the lower level (which is where Elissa had hoped Anora would be placed), it was hellish enough for a former Queen. This fact alone would have to be satisfying enough.

Sitting on her cot, Anora looked up and glared at her visitor.

"Have you come to gloat at my turn of fortune?" Anora asked politely, an edge of sarcasm in her tone.

"Yes," Elissa replied coldly. "To be honest I'm sad no disgruntled guardsmen are here keeping **you**company at night. I think nightly beatings would be fitting." She sighed softly. "Alas, this will simply have to do."

"Now that you have seen me in such a saddened and disgraced state do you feel satisfied with the outcome? Can you sleep easier at night knowing I suffer?"

At this Elissa could not help a bitter laugh. "Suffering? You call this," She said pointing at the surroundings of Anora's cell. "suffering? Please don't embarrass yourself further by using words you don't understand."

Anora's gaze dropped down to Elissa's useless arm and smirked. "Oh yes. You indeed know suffering. If it's any consolation I had no idea they had planned to cause you any permanent damage."

Again Elissa's bitter laugh filled the air. "Please don't bullshit me. "

"Believe what you will Warden Cousland. Now if you will excuse me,I must take my afternoon rest."

"Yes. I'm sure you're exhausted from starting out of your tiny window all day long." Elissa made no move to leave.

"Is there anything else? Or would you prefer to stare at me all day?" Anora covered her mouth to conceal the yawn. This conversation was beginning to bore her.

"I will take my leave in a moment. I am curious if you ever figured out who provided Mother Hannah and Zara with those documents?"

There was something in her tone which made Anora's head snapped up. The warden was smirking in a knowing fashion. Anora narrowed her eyes and shook her head.

"No, I have not. I suppose it hardly matters now."

"Oh. Sad. I must say, even for his age my boy is crafty."

Anora's eyes went wide with surprise. She had never even considered Bryce. Giving in to her inner rage, she spat."That little brat."

"Careful what you say about my son. Don't think for a moment I'm above punching a former Queen in the mouth. Good day to you Anora." Elissa grinned widely as she spun around on her heels.  
"Warden." Anora called after her. Elissa came to a stop but did not turn to face the prisoner. "You look unwell today." She could hear the satisfied smile in Anora's tone. "I do hope you feel better soon. Ferelden would be lost without it's great hero."

Without answering Elissa squared her shoulders and quickly left the fort, leaving Anora to rest peacefully with an oddly satisfied smirk upon on her face.

* * *

**Three Weeks Later. Denerim**

Alistair, Elissa and Bryce took up residence within the former Arl of Denerim's estate. It kept them close to Maric in case he needed either of them, which was more often than not. Bryce was officially named as Maric's successor. Originally, he wanted Alistair, but the warden-commander refused to give up his station as commander; nevertheless, he promised he would advise Bryce when the time came.

Sweating and panting heavily, Alistair rolled off of Elissa. Propping himself on his elbow he looked at his love and frowned. "You're paler than you were yesterday, love. I think you should see Anders.." Alistair sighed. It was something he pointed out to Elissa on a daily basis since the landsmeet. She knew it was true. She was pale, weak and could barely manage to get herself out of bed. As usual she laughed and smiled weakly.

"What lovely pillow talk, my love." She turned to her side, looked up into his eyes and smiled weakly. "My body is merely getting used to the idea of freedom. Give me time and I will be as good as new."

Her deflections of his concern was nothing new, but still annoyed the shit out of him. She refused to be seen by any medical professional, which was the driving force behind his secret trip to Amaranthine, where a well-informed Anders would be waiting to be brought back to the estate She would yell, scream and protest - that did not matter to him in the slightest. If that is what it took to know what the hell was wrong with her, then he would do it and deal with the consequences later.

Pushing himself from their bed, Alistair fastened his small clothes tightly around his waste, and pulled his trousers up his legs.

"Where might you be going dearest?" Elissa croaked semi-cheerfully.  
Alistair winced at the sound of her voice. Turning on his heels, he flashed her a bright smile. "Amaranthine. Howe is determined to make me pay for his little trip that proved to be pointless." He lied.

"It serves you right."

With a sigh and sheepish grin he walked over to her side of the bed. Bending over, he planted a soft kiss on her chapped lips. She moaned as he slid his wet tongue across her lips. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he promised.

"Have fun, my love."

"Oh I'm sure it will be a thrill a minute," he rolled his eyes. "I love you."

A smile spread across her lips. "And I love you. Don't be too long."

"I won't," he said as he closed the door to their room.

"Do you have any educated guesses as to what might be wrong?" Alistair bellowed over the sounds of their horses pounding hooves.

"I would need to actually see her in order to make any sort of guess." Anders screamed back. "You say she is vomiting, pale and weak?"

"Yes. Do you think she could be...umm..."

"Again, I would need to see her, but highly doubt she is pregnant." Anders shook his head.

Alistair found himself rather disappointed. Had hoped in this case that lightening would strike twice. But if it wasn't that then that meant she was sick, which worried him even more than he had been before.

Anders smirked. "It could very well be your constant bed chamber encounters. "

Smirking, Alistair had to chuckle. "Oh. So you think _I'm _wearing her down. No. I refuse to believe that."

"I swear to you that it is possible. Why just yesterday I left Zara in a state of immobility. Now that I think of it I left her that way this morning too."

"Zara? Speechless? I had no idea such a feat was possible."

Anders's smirk grew. "Neither did she."  
"She did not know she was capable of speechlessness?" Alistair thought on this for a moment. "Actually, I completely believe that."

Alistair found himself rather enjoying this conversation (despite it's embarrassing and scandalous nature). It was hardly enough to keep his mind off whatever might be ailing Elissa, but it was enough to keep him from from obsessing anymore than he already was.

A loud yowl came from the inside of Anders's robes as the tabby struggled to find an exit. A orange and white head peered over the mage's collar, just below Anders's chin.

"Really Anders?" He asked dully.

"What?" Anders answered defensively. "He's lonely without me."

"Yes. I'm sure _he's_the lonely one."

"Elissa enjoys his company."

"Elissa enjoys anything that sleeps wi...Nevermind." There was no way Alistair was going to finish that.

"Oh come now. What were you going to say?" Anders asked. A wide and devilish grin spread across his mouth.

Clearing his throat, Alistair shook his head. "'Twas nothing of any great importance."

"Oh come now, commander. I really do think you should..."

Cutting off Anders in mid-sentence, Alistair pointed ahead of them and bellowed enthusiastically. "Oh look! There is the compound. What a fast trip that was."

Anders growled quietly in frustrating, but said nothing. "What a buzz-kill you are commander."

They rode their horses into the stable behind the compound. Dismounting quickly, they walked around the building, entering through the main doors. The moment the two men stepped into the foyer, both knew instantly something was amiss. Two servants stood near the foot of the spiraled stairwell looking distraught, both silently weeping. Their eyes flew to the two men as they entered.

"Oh, Master!" The female elven servant bursts into a fit of tears, unable to finish.

"Master," said the male human servant quietly. "please follow me."

"Why? What is going on?" Alistair asked as he and Anders followed. The servant did not answer, but took them up the stairs and down the hallway which led to Alistair and Elissa's room. Standing outside was a weeping and hysterical servant.

Brushing his way past the two men, Alistair walked up to the woman and demanded to know what was going on and why she was standing outside his room weeping.

"Master," she sobbed. "There was nothing I could do. There was nothing the house mage could do, either. We tried and tried to wake her, but nothing happened and nothing was working."

Without another word Alistair threw open the bedroom door. Running to Elissa's side of the bed he fell to his knees beside the bed. Looking at her face, he saw her blue eyes were open, dull and lifeless. Reaching out with his hand he brushed her pale cheek. It was cold to the touch. There was no reaction from her as he ran his thumb across her lips.. Reaching underneath the covers he grabbed her hand and squeezed. It was cold and stiff.

Unsure what to do, Alistair did the only thing he could and screamed. It was a scream of pure agony and heart wrenching pain which tore through the compound and drifted into the streets of Denerim. Tears spilled from his eyes as he simply stared at the lifeless body of his love on their bed.

He barely noticed Anders had entered and taken a place standing next to him.

Despite his own tears of pain and anger, Anders ran his hands over Elissa. Magic burst forth from his fingertips. He paled as his fingers passed over her body.

"Holy hell," he whispered. "How did I miss that?"

"Missed what?" Alistair asked dully.

"I was so concerned about healing the wound, I didn't even think to check everything fully."

Alistair sighed shakily and closed his eyes. "Poison." It wasn't a question, but Anders nodded anyways. "What did Anora use?"

"Does it matter?" Anders muttered bitterly.

"No." Alistair's bottom lip quivered. "Please let me be." Alistair hung his head and began to weep before Anders had even left the room.

Anders stopped at the doorway as Alistair called out to him.

"Tell Maric what has happened here. And tell..." His red-rimmed, tear-filled eyes grew hard. "Tell the king I want to be the one to take Anora's head."

Nodding, Anders quietly left the room. He shut the door behind him so his commander could grieve in peace. Alistair's second pain-filled cry was almost as heart-wrenching as the first. It sent shivers down his spine and tears streaming down his cheeks.

* * *

It had been three days since word of the Hero of Ferelden's demise had spread like wildfire throughout every major and minor town across Ferelden and beyond. The people mourned their fallen hero and were determined, if not pleased to be attending the former queen's punishment.

No three people mourned Elissa's passing more than the Warden-Commander, Teyrn Cousland and king-in-waiting Bryce Cousland-Theirin. It had taken both Fergus and Alistair speaking with Bryce before he could understand that Elissa was not coming back. Once the lad realized it to be true he had not emerged from his room, and could be heard crying and screaming . Both men were content with leaving Bryce in this state as they were attending Anora's public execution.

Anora was marched from Fort Drakon into a crowded Denerim tourney arena. This greatly confused her as she was under the impression she was to be executed in a typical beheading fashion. The commoners who filled the area collectively hissed, booed and threw rotten fruit at her as she entered. She found the act vile and disgusting.

Her guards left her in the middle of the arena to await her fate. The cries of outrage were soon quieted as Maric stood from his royal booth. His voice boomed throughout the arena.

"Anora Mac Tir. Daughter of General Loghain Mac Tir. You have been brought before us as a murderer, and shall receive the maximum penalty," Maric paused and looked around the area. Eager eyes all around met his own. "...death."

The crowd erupted into loud cheers. They were silenced by the wave of Maric's hand.

"I realize this is rather...unusual, but I can hardly deny this to be a far more fitting punishment than a beheading."

Anora could feel wetness trickling down her leg, but otherwise gave no outward signs of how terrified she truly was.

"Had our brave hero not placed herself in the way of a dagger meant for me, we would all be mourning my death. Truth be told, I wish she hadn't done what she did. For I am old and have lived my life. She was young and barely had a chance to live hers. " A tear ran down Maric's cheek. He made no effort to hide his emotions.

"What is my punishment to be then?" Anora bellowed.

"The prisoner shall not speak unless asked to do so, Maric roared. "Next to you is a dagger. I suggest you pick it up. For you _will _be needing it."

Sure enough, next to her right foot was a silver-handled dagger. She did as she was told and took it in her hand. Looking back at Maric, she waited for further explanation.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. To some this might seem unorthodox and cruel. To others 'tis only fitting," He stopped and looked directly into Anora's cold blue eyes. "Today, you will be honoring us with a sparring match. If you survive you may walk away to never return. If not,then your debt shall be paid in full."

Maric's words were cold and without sympathy.

Anora's eyes grew wide, allowing her fear to show for all to see. The crowd roared, pleased with what they had heard.

Directly in front of Anora emerged a large man, wearing blood-stained armor and wielding a glowing green broadsword.

The swordsman looked up at Maric, awaiting the king's approval. When Maric nodded, the swordsman wasted no time and charged at Anora.

Her scream echoed throughout the arena as he came directly towards her, sword drawn.

Quickly side-stepping, she avoided being bowled over by the huge armored man. Both turning on their heels at the same moment, they faced one another. He charged at her again. This time she was ready for him.

As he was upon her and the sword was swung, aiming for her throat, Anora was able to duck underneath the blade. Quickly she brought up her dagger and slashed at his sword arm. The dagger bounced off the heavy armor and sent her falling backwards to the ground.

Much to Anora's surprise, the swordsman waited for her to pick herself off the ground before coming after her.

"_He's toying with me." _She thought angrily.

Before she could so much as move, he plunged his sword into her stomach. The wound was not deep, but it hurt.  
Anora screamed in pain and screamed again as he removed his blade from her flesh. She dropped to her knees, gasping for breath. Anora knew something was wrong.

The swordsman plunged his sword into the dirt before he knelt down before her.

"That venom is going to make breathing very difficult for the next minute or so," he said.

Anora recognized his voice and could hear him smile. "This won't bring her back, you bastard," she spat.

"No, it won't. But watching you die will make me feel a hell of a lot better."

She spat at his feet.

"Cute," Alistair said, smirking beneath his helmet. "After a minute, your body will start convulsing as every nerve in your body dies. Then you'll feel your heart stop. That's going to be the painful part."

Anora attempted to speak but found she could not.

"Oh. Right. Your tongue has already started to swell up hasn't it? Try not to talk. It will only make things worse."

Anora croaked. Her eyes grew wide as her body began to shake. Her knees gave out and she fell forward onto the ground, her body shaking in ways she never thought possible.

Alistair smiled. "I hope you know this was my idea. Maric was all for a public loss of your head. But, this was justice."

The crowds thunderous cheers were the last thing Anora heard before her heart finally stopped and everything went black.

* * *

Elissa's funeral was held in Highever. All of her closest friends were in attendance. They told stories of her bravery, and kindness to those around her. Leliana sung a song which brought tears to everyone's eyes.

Maric honored her with a pyre befitting of royalty.

Tired of all of the sympathetic words and smiles, Alistair wandered the halls of Highever castle. Eventually, he found an empty stairwell. Leaning against the banister, he hung his head and wept. Fate was cruel. He had just won Elissa back only to lose her again, this time forever. He was strong and he knew he would somehow find a way to get himself past all of this pain. But for now, weeping was all he could do.

"Alwster?" Came Bryce's tiny voice. Alistair turned his head slightly, looked down at the boy and smiled. It was amazing how much he looked like Elissa.

"Yes Bryce?" His voice was shaking as he spoke.

Bryce's own red eyes were filled with tears once again. "I miss her," he said before breaking down into a fit of tears.

Taking a step towards his son, he gathered him in his arms. Bryce wrapped his own arms around Alistair's neck, burying his face into Alistair's neck.

"I miss her too," Alistair said and smiled into the boy's hair. "But you know what?"

"Hmmm?" Bryce asked into his neck.

"We have our memories of her right here." He said. Tapping his index finger lightly against his son's head.

"What if I forget?"

"You wont forget. Because I have more than enough stories to tell to tell you."

"Is you sure?" Bryce asked as he slowly pulled himself away from Alistair's neck, but not out of his arms.

Alistair smiled. "Positive. And when you're older I have something of hers you should read."

Bryce smiled weakly and nodded. "K." He pulled himself from Alistair's arms and took him by the hand, leading him back towards the service. Alistair let himself be led.

"I want to be a war...umm"

"Warden?" Alistair ventured a guess. Bryce nodded

"Just like you and Ellie."

It was the first time he had ever heard the boy speak without his lisp. His boy was growing up.

"And so you shall, my boy." Not as if he could escape that fate. "So you shall."

**A/N: And that's all she wrote folks. I know that tragic is so totally not in, but this is how the fic was meant to be ended. This has been a fun fic to write and part of me is going to miss it. The other part can't wait to start on the far less dramatic Time Warp. Future Fic's may include Bryce's story. **

**A HUGE and EPIC thanks goes out to alyssacousland for all of her wonderful and amazing editing. You made this fic rock! I don't know where I'd be without you! **

**An EPIC thank you to all of you have stuck with this fic! I appreciate each and every single one of you! **


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